Project

Study of the interactions of regulatory T cells in chronic inflammatory arthritis

Code

3E014310

Duration

01 October 2010 → 30 November 2016

Funding

Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund, Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO)

Promotor

Dirk Elewaut

Fellow

Koen Venken

Research disciplines

Medical and health sciences
- Immunology
- Orthopaedics
- Immunology
- Orthopaedics
- Immunology
- Orthopaedics

Keywords

arthritis immunology regulatory T cells

Project description

Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) and CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important thymus-derived immunomodulatory cells. In this project, we aim to evaluate the functional interaction between these immunomodulatory cells in patients with rheumatic disorders. Furthermore, the cooperation of iNKT cells and Tregs under inflammatory conditions will be evaluated in an animal model of TNF mediated arthritis.