# CELLULAR BIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY OF LEISHMANIASIS

> **NIH NIH R01** · TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER · 1988 · $280,314

## Abstract

The long-term objective is to analyze the potential role of a
recently-identified novel mechanism of T cell-mediated
activation of macrophage antileishmanial effects in host defense
in vivo.  This mechanism of activation involves antigen-specific
interactions between effector T cells and infected macrophages,
interactions that are neither lymphokine-mediated nor involve
cytotoxicity to host cells.  Different well-studied murine models
of leishmaniasis will be investigated in an effort to establish
whether a correlation exists between the in vitro expression of
the lymphokine-independent activation mechanism (referred to as
"contact-mediated") and resolution of infection in mice.  As a
corollary, the possibility that suppressor cells (or their soluble
products) from BALB/c mice with disseminated L. major
infections can down-regulate expression of the effector T cells in
vitro will be explored.  In related studies, lymphokine-mediated
and cell contact-mediated mechanisms of macrophage activation
will be compared for their dependence on an oxidative burst to
impart an antileishmanial effect in vitro, and for their influence
on phagolysosomal pH.  Finally, the murine macrophage activation
assay will be adapted to human cell cultures to permit subsequent
clinical studies.  These studies of a novel T cell-mediated
mechanism activation of macrophage antimicrobial defense can
be expected to have direct relevance to leishmaniasis as well as
have potentially important implications for understanding host
defense to certain other intracellular pathogens.  Since this novel
defenes mechanism involves a subclass of murine lymphocytes
analogous to those infected by HIV in humans, results of this line
of investigation could bear on infectious complications in patients
with AIDS.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3126998
- **Project number:** 2R01AI017151-07A1
- **Recipient organization:** TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MY2ERHGDV956
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID J WYLER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $280,314
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1980-07-01 → 1990-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3126998

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3126998, CELLULAR BIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY OF LEISHMANIASIS (2R01AI017151-07A1). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3126998. Licensed CC0.

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