Studies on B cell tolerance and the interactions between B cells and T cells in celiac disease.
Central in the pathogenesis of celiac disease are T cells reactive to gluten peptides and autoreactive B cells producing antibodies to the enzyme TG2. Using transgenic mice, the objectives of the experiments described in this application are to 1: Further understand the development and function of autoreactive TG2-specific B cells, 2: Characterize novel HLA-DQ2 knock in and 3. new gluten-specific T-cell receptor transgenic mice, 4: understand the mechanisms of collaboration between TG2-specific B cells and gluten-specific T cells. This project will be crucial for the understanding of the formation of autoantibodies in patients with celiac disease.
Update November 2020: Addition of 2 experiments aiming to show that newly generated monoclonal antibodies against HLA-DQ2 / á2 gluten peptide block proliferation of gluten-specific T cells in vivo and have therapeutic potential.
The distress of the added animals will be minimal. Mice are expected to develop mild pain for a short amount of time due to intravenous, intraperitoneal and intramuscular injections, oral gavages and the withdrawal of blood. The injected antigens will not cause any discomfort to the animals and volumes are kept small to minimize distress. We have kept the number of animals per group at a minimum that is necessary to obtain statistically significant differences.
Update November 2020: Addition of 2 experiments aiming to show that newly generated monoclonal antibodies against HLA-DQ2 / á2 gluten peptide block proliferation of gluten-specific T cells in vivo and have therapeutic potential.
The distress of the added animals will be minimal. Mice are expected to develop mild pain for a short amount of time due to intravenous, intraperitoneal and intramuscular injections, oral gavages and the withdrawal of blood. The injected antigens will not cause any discomfort to the animals and volumes are kept small to minimize distress. We have kept the number of animals per group at a minimum that is necessary to obtain statistically significant differences.