The innate immune system is the first line of defense against pathogens, providing rapid and nonspecific responses. Immune cells recognize pathogens and harmful molecules using various receptors and signaling pathways that play a key role in the formation of an appropriate immune response.
The main focus of our laboratory is on neutrophil granulocytes and the inflammatory processes they initiate. If neutrophils are not activated appropriately, it can lead to the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Neutrophils express a large number of cell surface receptors for the recognition of pathogen invasion and the inflammatory environment. Those include G-protein-coupled chemokine and chemoattractant receptors, Fc-receptors, adhesion receptors such as selectins/selectin ligands and integrins, various cytokine receptors, as well as innate immune receptors such as Toll-like receptors and C-type lectins.
The various cell surface receptors trigger diverse signaling pathways, which lead to complex cellular responses and elimination processes. In our experiments, we primarily investigate the role of signaling through integrins, Fc receptors, and G protein-coupled receptors in neutrophil granulocyte responses and the development of neutrophil-dependent in vivo inflammatory processes.
Publication related to the project: Futosi et al., Int Immunopharmacol, 2013.