The research programs of the "Immunity and Transmission" Laboratory (LIT) within the IDMIT Department focus on host–pathogen interactions. The team comprises immunologists, experts in host responses to infections and vaccination, microbiologists, molecular and cellular biologists, and physicians. The research spans molecular mechanisms to clinical applications, with the overarching aim of documenting the development of effective preventive and therapeutic strategies for infection control, thereby contributing to global health and pandemic preparedness.
The LIT team operates along two main research axes:
Axis 1 – Understanding and controlling Infectious Diseases
This axis aims to deepen the understanding of immunological mechanisms, host–pathogen interactions, and the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, in order to guide preventive, therapeutic, and vaccine strategies.
Objective 1: Decipher the molecular mechanisms of antiviral activity of restriction factors in immune cells.This objective focuses on understanding how restriction factors and post-translational modifications modulate immune cell responses to viral (e.g., HIV-1/-2) and/or bacterial (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus) invasion.
Objective 2: Investigate the role of mucosal environments in the transmission and control of viral and bacterial infections. This objective seeks to elucidate the complex interplay between the immune system, the local environment, and pathogens—particularly in the context of sexually transmitted and respiratory infections—using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models.
Objective 3: Study the development and maturation of the immune system in early life. This research focuses on the ontogeny and functional maturation of the immune system in infants, as well as their responses to natural infections and vaccinations.
Objective 4: Advance antiviral prevention strategies. This objective supports the development of new vaccines and antiviral strategies against a range of viruses, including HIV-1, HSV-1 and HSV-2, yellow fever virus (YFV), and monkeypox virus (MPXV).
Axis 2 – Elucidating Vaccine Mechanisms of Action
This axis is dedicated to advancing vaccine development.
Objective 1: Understand the induction of innate immune memory by vaccines. This research aims to unravel how vaccines modulate both effector and memory innate immune responses to design more effective immunization strategies.
Objective 2: Investigate the persistence of vaccine antigens and its relationship with immune activation and long-term protective responses. The goal is to understand antigen persistence and explore its impact on the maturation and effectiveness of specific immune responses. This will inform the temporal dynamics of antigen presence and its implications for durable and robust immunity.
Objective 3: Assess the impact of host immunological history on vaccine response modulation – Towards personalized vaccines. This objective focuses on how pre-existing immune memory influences secondary systemic and tissue-resident responses, particularly in the context of hybrid immunity and homologous or heterologous boosting. Host immunological history, along with factors such as age, microbiota, and local environment, are considered in a personalized vaccination approach. The team also develops mathematical models to analyze vaccine responses (e.g., MVA and YF17D), in order to better understand the immunological mechanisms underpinning vaccination.