Overview
Topic status: In progress
Background
Advances in viral testing technologies, and vigilance in donor selection criteria have significantly decreased the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections as a consequence of blood transfusion. However, having a blood transfusion is not without other transfusion complications and immunological mechanisms have been reported to account for 28% of risk for morbidity and mortality following blood transfusion. Transfusion-related immune modulation (TRIM) is a phenomenon of blood transfusion that is recognised as part of these immunological mechanisms. The clinical effects of TRIM include cancer recurrence and increased infectious complications.Dendritic cells (DC) are central to both the innate and adaptive immune response. DC are particularly important as not only do they play a role in pathogen recognition, they can home to lymph nodes and interact with T and B cells to influence the adaptive immune response. DC, therefore occupy a specific niche in the immune response that may be modulated by the transfusion of blood products.
This project will specifically analyse the effect of transfusion on DC differentiation and the resulting ability of those DC to mount an immune response. This study will utilise a whole blood in vitro model of transfusion to investigate modulation of DC differentiation and maturation following transfusion. Further this project will analyse the effect of age of blood component on DC differentiation and maturation using a time course analysis of blood component storage.
Hypothesis
Blood products alter dendritic cell differentiation and maturation resulting in reduced ability to respond to pathogen.
Specific Aims
- Aim 1: To investigate if transfusion of blood product alters differentiation of monocytes to dendritic cells
- Aim 2: To investigate if DC differentiated in the presence of blood products have altered ability to respond to microbial stimulation
- Aim 3: To investigate if modulation of dendritic cell differentiation and maturation is related to the age of component transfused.
The student will gain insight into the following:
- Organisation: ARCBS National R & D programs
- Emerging issues: Potential impact/ safety issues posed by transfusion
- Scientific:
- Specific understanding of cell culture and flow cytometry
- Experiment design and planning
- Analysis and reporting of laboratory data
Duration
The planned duration is 6 - 8 Weeks commencing Dec 2011 or Jan 2012. The duration and timing of vocation can be flexible, so please enquire.
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scholarship
- Supervisors
- QUT External Prof Robert Flower; Dr Melinda Dean
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
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Please contact supervisor for enquiries.
