Foxp3+ Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important for preventing autoimmunity and uncontrolled inflammation. They also modulate immune response to infectious disease and cancer. For example, Tregs that infiltrate tumours have been shown to be immunosuppressive and can prevent the activation of an effective anti-tumour immune response. We previously showed that microRNAs are critical for the functions of Tregs. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs (~22nt in length) that regulate gene expression. Manipulating the expression of microRNAs may therefore be a way to control the activities of Tregs. This project will investigate if microRNA inhibitors can be delivered to Tregs via lentiviruses and if this can be employed to disrupt the immunosuppressive effects of Tregs within tumours by testing in mouse models of cancer.
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