Media releases

A team from Federation University Australia have discovered how an important type of immune cell develops in humans, which could pave the way for a new generation of medical treatments.

Professor Stuart Berzins from Federation’s Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability is co-lead of the research project that has revealed new information about how the dominant subset of gamma-delta T cells develop in the human body. These cells play a key role in the body’s immune response against a wide range of illnesses, including cancer and microbial infections, but their development has been poorly understood.

The study found that gamma-delta T cells are produced continually through our lives in the thymus organ, countering previous scientific doctrine that they were only produced during foetal development. Furthermore, the study identified how these important immune cells develop, which provides new pathways to treat or prevent illnesses dependent on gamma-delta T cells.

This pioneering study is the result of a collaboration between Federation University’s Professor Berzins and PhD student Louis Perriman, and a group led by Associate Professor Daniel Pellicci at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. The work has been accepted for publication in the prestigious Science Immunology journal and the authors have been invited to present their findings at several international conferences and scientific institutes.

The project team has applied for a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council to fund further research into gamma-delta T cells to support the development of new immune-based therapies.

Quote attributable to Professor Stuart Berzins, Group Leader, Human Immunology, Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability at Federation University Australia.