| Grant number: | 21/12768-7 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation |
| Start date: | February 01, 2022 |
| End date: | April 30, 2023 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Immunology - Applied Immunology |
| Principal Investigator: | Denise Morais da Fonseca |
| Grantee: | Guilherme William da Silva |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
Abstract The intestinal mucosa is the largest area of the body exposed to the external environment and to antigens derived from the commensal microbiota or from the diet. At the same time that it controls the nutrient absorption, the gut mucosa, together with the associated lymphoid and adipose tissues, has immunological and neuroendocrine sensors that integrate signs of changes in homeostasis, elaborating responses to pathogens and maintaining immunological tolerance to innocuous antigens. The canonical responses induced in the intestine include IgA production, activation of Th17 lymphocytes, specific subtypes of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), and regulatory T cells (Treg). While Tregs promote tolerance to oral antigens and regulate pathological inflammatory responses, antibody-producing cells and innate and adaptive lymphocytes control infections and act to maintain the commensal microbiota. Nevertheless, studies using experimental models of infection or chronic inflammatory bowel disease suggest that other mechanisms may contribute to supporting homeostasis in mucosal tissues. Recent studies highlight the contribution of other tissues, in particular the adipose tissue, in this process. The omentum, for example, is one of the largest compartments of human adipose tissues and is related to the peritoneal cavity. Structurally, the omentum contains lymphoid aggregates (milky spots) that harbor populations of macrophages, B, T, and ILC2 lymphocytes. However, little is known about the contribution of omentum-derived cells to immunity against intestinal pathogens. Results obtained by our group indicate an increase in size and number of these lymphoid aggregates after gastrointestinal tract infection events, suggesting a possible communication with the intestinal mucosa. Therefore, in this project, we intend to use different models of gastrointestinal infection to analyze the immune response in the omentum and its contribution to barrier immunity mechanisms. (AU). | |
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