Seminar Title: Genetic and environmental regulation of intestinal antiviral immunity
Abstract: Intestinal viruses infect and persist in the mammalian intestine, providing benefits to the host similar to those from the bacterial microbiome. However, little is known about how the host regulates these infections to prevent damage and derive benefits. Murine norovirus strain CR6 (CR6) is a model viral commensal. In my work, I used immunodeficient mice lacking the antiviral signalling molecule STAT1, which experience severe disease following CR6 infection. Studying the mechanisms of this disease, I gained insights into how STAT1 regulates adaptive and innate immune responses to CR6 infection to restrict the virus to a beneficial colonic resident. In particular, I defined the innate immune populations in which STAT1 is most important for the prevention of severe liver pathology.
During this work, I also made the serendipitous finding that oral antibiotic treatment suppresses the adaptive immune response to CR6. Importantly, I demonstrated that this effect is not dependent on the action of the antibiotics on the microbiota. Through functional immune assays, I demonstrated that antibiotic treatment directly impairs the ability of dendritic cells to activate adaptive immune response. These findings have significance for our understanding of viral commensalism, as well as for clinical disease.
If you are unable to make it in person, you can join us on Zoom:
Zoom: 92927 687268
ID: 687268
LSC 3 (Life Sciences Institute - 2350 Health Sciences Mall) MBIM itsupport@microbiology.ubc.ca America/Vancouver public
Seminar Title: Genetic and environmental regulation of intestinal antiviral immunity
Abstract: Intestinal viruses infect and persist in the mammalian intestine, providing benefits to the host similar to those from the bacterial microbiome. However, little is known about how the host regulates these infections to prevent damage and derive benefits. Murine norovirus strain CR6 (CR6) is a model viral commensal. In my work, I used immunodeficient mice lacking the antiviral signalling molecule STAT1, which experience severe disease following CR6 infection. Studying the mechanisms of this disease, I gained insights into how STAT1 regulates adaptive and innate immune responses to CR6 infection to restrict the virus to a beneficial colonic resident. In particular, I defined the innate immune populations in which STAT1 is most important for the prevention of severe liver pathology.
During this work, I also made the serendipitous finding that oral antibiotic treatment suppresses the adaptive immune response to CR6. Importantly, I demonstrated that this effect is not dependent on the action of the antibiotics on the microbiota. Through functional immune assays, I demonstrated that antibiotic treatment directly impairs the ability of dendritic cells to activate adaptive immune response. These findings have significance for our understanding of viral commensalism, as well as for clinical disease.
If you are unable to make it in person, you can join us on Zoom:
Zoom: 92927 687268
ID: 687268