Linterman Group

Linterman Group
Linterman Group
Michelle Linterman
Group Leader
Linterman Group

Research Summary

When higher organisms are infected by pathogens the immune system responds with the coordinated activation of many different cell types, each with their own specific role to bring about pathogen clearance, and subsequently generate immunological memory. Within the adaptive immune system helper CD4+ T cells and B cells specific for the infectious organism are recruited to become activated effector cells and a proportion of these cells will go on to become memory cells that are able to respond quickly to future infections.

Germinal centres are sites within tissues such as the tonsils, spleen and lymph nodes where B cells proliferate and differentiate during a normal immune response to an infection. Because of the central role of the germinal centre in generating immunological memory, a potent germinal centre response is critical for a successful response to vaccination. With advancing age, the size of the germinal centre response and the efficacy of vaccination diminish, and T cells are one of the primary contributors to this decline.

Our research is focused on understanding the cellular and molecular changes that occur in T cells with age that contribute to the age-dependent decline in the germinal centre response.

 

Featured Publications

B cell-intrinsic changes with age do not impact antibody-secreting cell formation but delay B cell participation in the germinal centre reaction

Lee JL, Fra-Bido SC, Burton AR, Innocentin S, Hill DL, Linterman MA.
Aging Cell. PMID: 35980826
Aug 2022


 

Targeting TLR4 during vaccination boosts MAdCAM-1+ lymphoid stromal cell activation and promotes the aged germinal center response

Denton AE, Dooley J, Cinti I, Silva-Cayetano A, Fra-Bido S, Innocentin S, Hill DL, Carr EJ, McKenzie ANJ, Liston A, Linterman MA.
Sci Immunol. PMID: 35522725
May 2022


 

Impaired HA-specific T follicular helper cell and antibody responses to influenza vaccination are linked to inflammation in humans.

Hill DL, Whyte CE, Innocentin S, Lee JL, Dooley J, Wang J, James EA, Lee JC, Kwok WW, Zand MS, Liston A, Carr EJ, Linterman MA.
Elife. PMID: 34726156 
Nov 2021


 

Group Members

Michelle Linterman

Group Leader

Alice Burton

Postdoctoral Fellow

Helena Carslaw

Research Assistant

William Foster

Postdoc Research Scientist

Xin Ge

PhD Student

Stephane Guillaume

Marie Curie ITN Student

Silvia Innocentin

Research Assistant

Edith Marcial Juarez

Postdoc Research Scientist

Theresa Pankhurst

Honorary Fellow

Emily Watson

Research Assistant

Louise Webb

Postdoc Research Scientist