Immunity and infection
The IBBC Immunity and Infection groups address different aspects of immunity and infection in order to exploit evolution, physiology and pathology from basic life science and molecular mechanisms studies to the design of innovative tools and strategies for disease prevention and therapy. To this end, IBBC Immunity and infectious diseases groups tackle the following aspects:
- Evolutionary studies for better understanding the mechanisms at the basis of the adaptive immune response. Design of novel diagnostic/therapeutic tools (engineered high performance antibodies; innate, B- and T-cell receptors)
- Targeted vaccination and immunotherapeutic strategies using novel nano-carriers
- Dissecting the interaction between food proteins, microflora and gastrointestinal immune system in health and disease; devising the immunomodulatory approaches for treatment of chronic intestinal diseases
- Exploiting knowledge of inflammation and innate memory mechanisms in the induction of protective immunity (antigen delivery and adjuvanticity of vaccines), and in the therapeutic approach to tissue-specific diseases (chronic inflammatory, degenerative and autoimmune diseases)
- Schistosoma mansoni biology studies mainly focused on male and female reproductive organs and egg production. Identification and characterization of potentially relevant targets and novel anti-schistosomal compounds to tackle schistosomiasis, one the 17 NTDs Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) prioritized by the WHO , and affecting the most poor and vulnerable populations in the world
Groups involved
Cell signaling, epithelial cancer model systems and Schistosome Biology
Evolution of the Immune System
Innate Immunity, Inflammation and nanosafety
Mucosal Immunology and Immune Nutrition
New Strategies for Targeted Immunotherapy