C-type lectins in antifungal immunity

Fungal infections trigger a set of immune receptors called C-type lectins, and this project will work out exactly how those receptors shape the body’s longer-term defences and respond to fungal toxins. The problem is that fungal infections are a growing threat, especially for people with weakened immune systems, yet the immune system’s molecular toolkit for fighting fungi remains poorly understood. Researchers already know that C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are central to the initial immune response, but two big gaps remain. First, a newly discovered family of CLRs called KLRs appears to control how dendritic cells instruct T-cells to mount adaptive immunity against fungi—but no one knows how they do it. Second, two other CLRs have been found to recognise fungal secondary metabolites, including aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen. The biological consequences of that recognition are unknown. If this work succeeds, it will open new fields in adaptive immunity and medical mycology. Understanding how KLRs shape T-cell responses could eventually inform vaccine design or immunotherapies for fungal diseases. Decoding how the immune system detects fungal toxins may reveal unexpected links between infection and cancer. This is fundamental science: it will not produce a treatment tomorrow, but it will provide the mechanistic knowledge that future applied research depends on.