New thesis highlights tissue-specific immune responses

What is the main focus of your thesis?

My thesis focuses on a special type of immune cell called MAIT cells, which help the body defend against infections, particularly in tissues such as the lungs, gut, and liver. We studied how these cells adapt to different tissue environments and how their function changes depending on the local microenvironment. In addition, we investigated how a novel cystic fibrosis treatment affects the immunological landscape of patients receiving it.

Which are the most important results?

Across matched human organs, we found that MAIT cells are highly adaptable and change their function depending on their location, adopting distinct roles across tissues. We also showed that signals in the local microenvironment can rapidly shift MAIT cells between inflammatory and regulatory states, highlighting their functional plasticity. In cystic fibrosis, MAIT cells and other T cells were altered, and treatment resulted in reduced systemic inflammation and changes in the immune landscape of the airways that parallel clinical improvement.

How can this new knowledge contribute to the improvement of people’s health?

Our findings highlight that immune responses are highly tissue-specific, meaning that blood samples alone may not fully reflect what happens at the site of disease. This has important implications for how we study, diagnose, and treat diseases, and may help guide the development of more targeted treatments, particularly for conditions affecting organs such as the lungs.

What are your future ambitions? 

I would like to continue working in immunology with a focus on bridging basic research with clinical solutions that directly benefit patients and healthcare outcomes.

Dissertation

Friday 8 May, at 09:30, 9Q Månen, Floor 9, ANA Futura, Alfred Nobels allé 8

Thesis

Adaptation of human MAIT cells to tissue site and cytokine cues in the microenvironment