Conf. Phil Scott: Concomitant Immunity in Leishmaniasis

A convite do LIP, o Prof. Phillip Scott, da Universidade da Pennsylvania, fará conferência no Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz (CPqGM; FIOCRUZ-Bahia) intitulada:

Concomitant Immunity in Leishmaniasis.

A conferência será dia 16 de julho às 08’00, no Auditório do CPqGM.

Phil Scott tem dado importantes contribuições à imunologia das leishmanioses e seu foco atual, segundo indicado na sua página da UPenn é:

“Dr. Scott's current research is focused on understanding the development, regulation and maintenance of CD4+ Th1 and Th2 cells in order to design new vaccines and immunotherapies for infectious diseases. The laboratory primarily focuses on experimental murine infections with the protozoan parasite, Leishmania, which provides a well-characterized model of T helper cell differentiation. The use of IL-12 as an adjuvant to promote Th1 cell development, as well as the ability of combined drug and IL-12 therapy to promote a Th2 to Th1 switch, was first shown in this laboratory. Both findings have implications for the control and treatment of infectious diseases, autoimmunity and allergy. While much has been learned about the development of Th1 cells, our understanding of how to maintain Th1 responses-or cell-mediated immunity-is limited. This is highlighted by the fact that there is no vaccine for human leishmaniasis. Dr. Scott's laboratory is investigating the role of cytokines, antigen-dose, CD8+ T cells and antigen persistence in the development of immunologic memory. These studies indicate that a population of lymph node homing memory T cells, which have been called central memory T cells, are generated during Leishmania infection, and can be maintained in the absence of parasites. Future studies are directed at determining how to increase this population of memory T cells following vaccination. In related experiments, this laboratory has demonstrated that a Leishmania mutant, which lacks phosphoglycans and fails to induce disease, is maintained in vivo and protects mice against challenge with virulent organisms. Studies are in progress to characterize the immunity induced by these mutant parasites. Finally, studies are ongoing to understand how different species of Leishmania influence T helper cell subset development. While L. major induces a Th1 response and a healing infection in many strains of mice, the same strains of mice infected with parasites belonging to the L. mexicana complex fail to develop a Th1 response or heal. Thus, the laboratory is focused on defining the parasite virulence factors that modulate T helper cell development by different species of Leishmania.

Selected Publications

Pakpour, N., Zaph, C., and P. Scott: The central memory CD4+ T cell population generated during Leishmania major infection requires IL-12 to produce IFN-gamma Journal of Immunology 180(12): 8299-8305, June 2008.

Johnson, L. M. and P. Scott: STAT1 expression in dendritic cells, but not T cells, is required for immunity to Leishmania major. Journal of Immunology 178(11): 7259-66, Jun 1 2007.

Gray, Peter M. Reiner, Steven L. Smith, Deborah F. Kaye, Paul M. Scott, Phillip.: Antigen-experienced T cells limit the priming of naive T cells during infection with Leishmania major. Journal of Immunology 177(2): 925-33, Jul 15 2006.

Zaph, Colby. Rook, Kathryn A. Goldschmidt, Michael. Mohrs, Markus. Scott, Phillip. Artis, David.: Persistence and function of central and effector memory CD4+ T cells following infection with a gastrointestinal helminth. Journal of Immunology 177(1): 511-8, Jul 1 2006.

Prickett, Sara. Gray, Peter M. Colpitts, Sara L. Scott, Phillip. Kaye, Paul M. Smith, Deborah F.: In vivo recognition of ovalbumin expressed by transgenic Leishmania is determined by its subcellular localization. Journal of Immunology 176(8): 4826-33, Apr 15 2006.

Kebaier, Chahnaz. Uzonna, Jude E. Beverley, Stephen M. Scott, Phillip.: Immunization with persistent attenuated Delta lpg2 Leishmania major parasites requires adjuvant to provide protective immunity in C57BL/6 mice. Infection & Immunity 74(1): 777-80, Jan 2006.

Scott, Phillip.: Immunologic memory in cutaneous leishmaniasis. [Review] [51 refs] Cellular Microbiology 7(12): 1707-13, Dec 2005.

Hutchins, Anne S. Artis, David. Hendrich, Brian D. Bird, Adrian P. Scott, Phillip. Reiner, Steven L.: Cutting edge: a critical role for gene silencing in preventing excessive type 1 immunity. Journal of Immunology 175(9): 5606-10, Nov 1 2005.

Zaph, Colby. Uzonna, Jude. Beverley, Stephen M. Scott, Phillip.: Central memory T cells mediate long-term immunity to Leishmania major in the absence of persistent parasites.[see comment]. Nature Medicine 10(10): 1104-10, Oct 2004.

Uzonna, Jude E. Joyce, Karen L. Scott, Phillip.: Low dose Leishmania major promotes a transient T helper cell type 2 response that is down-regulated by interferon gamma-producing CD8+ T cells. Journal of Experimental Medicine 199(11): 1559-66, Jun 7 2004.”

As ilustrações também foram obtidas da página da UPenn.