Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
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CP5.2: Immunology 1 - 5 min talks Location: Lecture Theatre 2 Session Chair: Danielle Stanisic, Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, Griffith University Session Chair: Hannah Siddle, The University of Queensland | |
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Investigating the functions of platelets in protection against malaria infection The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601 Australia While platelets are known for their clotting function, they have immune functions as well. A recent discovery that platelets preferentially bind to senescent erythrocytes and aid in their clearance suggests that platelets are involved in erythrophagocytosis. This preferential binding is also observed in blood diseases including malaria. This project aims to explore the immune protective role of platelets in the clearance of infected erythrocytes during blood stage malarial infection. We first determine whether platelets aid in the clearance of infected erythrocytes by infecting platelet-depleted mice with Plasmodium berghei. We observed a decrease in phagocytosed infected erythrocytes in the spleens of platelet-depleted mice compared to controls. Next, we investigate whether it is platelets directly affect splenic macrophage function or is binding to erythrocyte an essential first step. We co-incubate murine splenic macrophages with erythrocytes in the presence of platelets. We observed increased erythrophagocytosis in the presence of platelets ex vivo. We will compare the expression level of functional markers of splenic macrophages in platelet-depleted mice to controls. Finally, we will look at a cohort of spleen-intact and splenectomised malaria patients to determine whether our findings can also be observed in humans. | |