"This study establishes the vital role of dendritic cell cross-presentation in fighting bacteria infections and sheds light on how we can manipulate and engage immune responses. This knowledge will ultimately aid in the design of vaccines against bacteria and other pathogens," says Jefferies.

The study was supported by funding from The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). "Better understanding of the body's immune system is the key to develop new strategies for treating bacterial infections and for creating new vaccines for Listeria ", says Dr. Bhagirath Singh, Scientific Director at CIHR's Institute of Infection and Immunity. "Dr. Jefferies's work advances our collective effort to prevent listerosis by focusing on the way our immune defences are wired and triggered upon initial infection by invading pathogens."

Source: University of British Columbia