Imunomodulação via cGAS-STING para Melhorar a Vacinação Baseada em VSV contra a Infecção por HTLV-1

• Processo: 25/19102-5
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Doutorado
• Data de Início da vigência: 15 de novembro de 2025
• Data de Término da vigência: 14 de novembro de 2026
• Área de conhecimento: Ciências Biológicas - Imunologia - Imunologia Celular
• Pesquisador responsável: Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara
• Beneficiário: Barbara Nunes Padovani
• Supervisor: Glen Barber
• Instituição Sede: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brasil
• Instituição Anfitriã: Ohio State University, Estados Unidos
• Vinculado à bolsa: 22/12833-6 - Efeito da restrição calórica na sinalização via cGAS-STING na Lesão Renal Aguda no Zebrafish, BP.DR
• Assunto(s): Adjuvantes imunológicos Vírus linfotrópico T tipo 1 humano Imunomodulação Linfócitos T
• Palavra(s)-Chave do Pesquisador: Adjuvantes imunológicos | cGAS-STING | Htlv-1 | Imunomodulação | Interferons tipo I | Linfócitos T | Imunologia de Doenças Infecciosas

Resumo

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus responsible for infecting millions of people worldwide. Infected individuals may develop inflammatory or neoplastic diseases such as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), respectively. Following infection, the virus can remain latent for long periods, and due to immune evasion mechanisms, the development of effective treatments and vaccines remains a major challenge. In this context, the VSV-gp62-¿HT vaccine was developed based on three viral antigens (gp62, Tax, and HBZ), aiming to induce neutralizing antibodies and stimulate cytotoxic T lymphocytes. To enhance the immune response, STING pathway agonists will be co-administered as immunological adjuvants, since activation of this pathway induces type I interferon production and promotes dendritic cell maturation, thereby optimizing T cell activation. We aim to investigate whether activation of the cGAS-STING pathway can function as a natural immunological adjuvant, enhancing the immune responses triggered by the recombinant VSV-gp62-¿HT vaccine against HTLV-1-related diseases. This strategy is expected to make a meaningful contribution to the development of more effective vaccine approaches for the prevention and control of HTLV-1-associated illnesses. (AU)