NPF-Funded Research

Development of CD8+ Tissue Resident Memory T Cells in Psoriatic Arthritis

Serena Melgrati, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator: Serena Melgrati, Ph.D.
Institution:
King's College London


Grant Mechanism: Early Career Research Grant
Funding Amount: $17,000
Project Start Date: August 1, 2024
Project End Date: July 31, 2025
Status: Active
Keywords: Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Biologics, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Inflammation

Project Summary:

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a form of arthritis that develops in up to 30% of patients with psoriasis. Certain immune cells, called T cells, have been found to be important in contributing to inflammation in both the skin and the joints. In particular, some of these T cells remain permanently located (or “resident”) in the inflamed skin and joint, where they continue to drive inflammation leading to disease flares. The aim of this project is to understand how these cells get to these locations and how they become resident. This will inform the development of targeted therapies to stop their function.

How will your project help improve the lives of the 125 million affected by psoriatic disease?

TRM cells are key drivers of inflammation in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. However, what drives TRM cell development in the context of these diseases remains elusive. Understanding the signals underlying their generation is crucial to identify novel therapeutic targets that can block the development of these cells and prevent disease flares.

Why is psoriatic disease research important to you, personally? What role will this award play in your research efforts or career development?

125 million people of all ages are affected by psoriatic disease, urging us to find better therapies. This award will help fund my research project which aims at identifying how tissue-resident memory cells, which live and drive inflammation in the skin and joints of patients with Psoriatic Arthritis, with the ultimate objective of identifying new therapeutic targets.




Researcher Profile:

Dr Serena Melgrati completed her Ph.D. in Immunology and short postdoc at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona, Switzerland, where she investigated the expression and function of a novel atypical chemokine receptor. She joined Prof Leonie Taams' lab in September 2023 with a Swiss National Science Postdoc Mobility Fellowship. Her work now focuses on the development of tissue-resident memory T cells in Psoriatic Arthritis.

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