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Division of Immunoregulation

Head of Division - Dr Anne O'Garra

The Division of Immunoregulation was recently established with the aim to bridge the gap between basic immunology and infectious disease, by bringing together knowledge obtained from the study of the immune response to infectious microorganisms in experimental models and clinical disease. This research is based upon close collaboration with the existing Divisions of Molecular Immunology, Immune Cell Biology, and Parasitology, Virology and Mycobacterial Research at NIMR. Over the next few years we will be recruiting independent investigators to expand our research.

Infectious diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide, and are increasing in almost every nation. They are also among the biggest disablers. Almost 90% of deaths from infectious diseases are caused by only a handful of diseases. Most of them have plagued mankind throughout history, often ravaging populations more effectively than wars (Fig. 1; WHO Report on Infectious Diseases). Protection from infection is the task of the immune system, a complex network of cells and their products, which have evolved to recognise and eradicate a wide variety of pathogens. Timely and efficient activation of the immune system is vital to our ability to survive infection. An essential feature of the immune response to an infectious microorganism is that it is enhanced by a second exposure (i.e. has memory) and this quality forms the basis for vaccination. However, excessive or aberrant activation of the immune system can cause damage to host tissues and, in certain cases, can be responsible for much of the pathology associated with infectious disease (immunopathology). Furthermore, inappropriate immune activation can result in autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions. The immune system is therefore subject to intricate regulation, in order to control its response and prevent such damage.

Figure 1

Chart showing number of deaths worldwide due to infectious diseases
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Chart showing number of deaths worldwide due to infectious diseases.

[From WHO Report on Infectious Diseases]

Research in the Division is concerned with the precise mechanisms of pathogenesis and immune control of infectious disease. Emphasis is given to those bacterial and viral infections, which represent a major threat to human health worldwide and against which vaccines are unavailable or inefficient. We aim to understand how the immune response to infection is regulated at the molecular and cellular level, to identify factors that sway the complex interaction between the infectious microorganisms and the immune system and allow infections to overcome our immune defences, and to use this knowledge to induce or enhance protective immunity against infection. The goal of our research is to lay the basis for improved diagnostic methods and vaccination strategies for the prevention or treatment of infectious diseases.

Research groups