Regulation of Gene Expression during Viral Infection – Gerald McInerney Group

Our research concerns the study of the interactions between viruses and their host cells in the early stages of infection. Using Semliki Forest virus as a model, we are exploring the involvement of cellular pathways such as autophagy, stress granules and the type I interferon system in the cellular responses to viral infection.

Research Description

Our research concerns the study of the interactions between viruses and their host cells in the early stages of infection. Using Semliki Forest virus as a model,  we are exploring the involvement of cellular pathways such as autophagy, stress granules and the type I interferon system in the cellular responses to viral infection.

For more info please visit our group website: Alphavirus.org

We gratefully receive financial support for our research from several organizations, including:

• Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet, VR)
• Cancerfonden 
• European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program
• Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
• Stiftelsen för Strategiskt Forskning
• Karolinska Institutet (KID medel)
• China Scholarship Council
• SciLifeLab National COVID-19 Research Program
• Stiftelsen Clas Groschinskys Minnesfond
• Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning
• WennerGren Stiftelserna
• KI Development Office

Former group members

PhD students

Ainhoa Moliner Morro, 2022

Ben Götte, 2019

Lifeng Liu, 2019

Marc Panas, 2014

Kai Eng, 2012

Postdocs

PhD Marc Panas 

PhD Leo Hanke

PhD Bastian Thaa

PhD Roberta Biasiotto

PhD Thomas Kuri

Immunological memory of Innate Lymphoid Cells

Our research interests are focused in the study of the biology of memory Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC2s) in type 2 immunity.

Read more on the group web page here

Research focus

ILC2s are innate lymphocytes involved in type 2 immune responses that protect us against parasites and play a role in tissue repair. However, they can also be pathogenic and induce allergic reactions. I previously described that ILC2s can become long-lived memory cells and mount more vigorous type 2 immune responses upon subsequent activation. The antigen non-specific nature of memory ILC2s has led me to hypothesize that these cells could be connecting unrelated allergic reactions as well as mediating allergen-independent exacerbations in allergic diseases.

We are performing an in-depth study of the transcriptome, proteome and epigenome of memory ILC2s in both mouse models of allergy and samples from allergic patients. We aim to understand how these innate lymphocytes contribute to the progression of allergic diseases and ultimately help in the development of novel therapeutic approaches.

More recently, we have become interested in the study of the function of ILC2s in the bone marrow (BM). Classically, ILC2s in the BM were thought to serve as progenitors to give rise to ILC2s that will seed peripheral tissues. However, recent evidence showing a functional role for ILC2s in the BM is raising. We study how ILC2s influence bone marrow healthy and malignant hematopoiesis with a focus on bone marrow fibrosis.

Research Focus

Our group is interested in how T cells develop and differentiate in response to antigens and cytokines. In particular, the group is focused on understanding the role of T cells in allergy and cancer.

Read more at the research group website here

T cells recognise peptide/lipid ligands presented in the context of MHC or MHC-like molecules expressed on antigen presenting cells. In particular, the group has a special focus on CD4 T cells, which when activated differentiate into T helper cells with potent cytokine-secreting function. Over the past three decades, several distinct T helper cell subsets have been described including Th1, Th2, Th17, Treg and others and these all exert quite unique immune modulatory effects. My group has many interests, including:

• Understanding how T helper cells promote health and disease
• Deciphering factors that regulate T helper cell function and differentiation
• Phenotyping T helper cells in lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues in diseased and healthy contexts
• Probing for other functionalities in the T helper cell spectrum
• Understanding how environmental factors may impact on T helper cell functions