Professor Philip Ashton-Rickardt
Memory T lymphocytes form the basis of immunological memory through their ability to rapidly eliminate invaders. We work on understanding the molecular basis of how memory T lymphocytes develop and how they are maintained. Our goal is to identify and characterise factors that protect memory cells from death and ensure their long-term survival through the activation of stem cell programmes for self-renewal.
We hope that the research proposed will lead to an improvement in vaccination through the induction of potent T cell memory, and also may provide a target for the elimination of auto-immune memory T cells.
Publications:
Park SM, Chen L, Zhang M, Ashton-Rickardt PG, Turner JR, Peter ME. CD95 is cytoprotective for intestinal epithelial cells in colitis. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2010; Jan 4. Weblink
Ashton-Rickardt PG (2008) Serine Protease Inhibitors and T Lymphocyte Immunity. Current Immunol. Rev. Vol 25 3:187-199(13). Publisher weblink
Park SM; Rajapaksha TW; Zhang ML; Sattar HA; Fichera A; Ashton-Rickardt PG; Peter ME. (Jan 2008). CD95 signaling deficient mice with a wild-type hematopoietic system are prone to hepatic neoplasia. APOPTOSIS. 13:41-51. DOI.
Zhang ML; Liu N; Park SM; Wang Y; Byrne S; Murmann AE; Bahr S; Peter ME; Olson ST; Belaaouaj A; et al. (01 Oct 2007). Serine protease inhibitor 6-deficient mice have increased neutrophil immunity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J IMMUNOL. 179:4390-4396. Weblink
Zhang, M; Park, SM; Wang, Y; Shah, R; Liu, N; Murmann, AE; Wang, CR; Peter, ME; Ashton-Rickardt, PG. (2006). Serine protease inhibitor 6 protects cytotoxic T cells from self-inflicted injury by ensuring the integrity of cytotoxic granules. Immunity. 4, 24:451-461. Author weblink.
Liu, N; Phillips, T; Zhang, M; Wang, Y; Opferman, JT; Shah, R; Ashton-Rickardt, PG. (01 Sep 2004). Serine protease inhibitor 2A is a protective factor for memory T cell development. Nature Immunology. 9, 5:919-926. Author weblink.
Phillips, T P; Opferman, J T; Shah, R; Liu, N; Froelich, C J; Ashton-Rickardt, P G. (2004). A role for the granzyme B inhibitor serine protease inhibitor 6 in CD8(+) memory cell homeostasis. Journal of Immunology. 6, 173:3801-3809. Author weblink.
Zhang ML; Byrne S; Liu N; Wang Y; Oxenius A; Ashton-Rickardt PG. (15 Mar 2007). Differential survival of cytotoxic T cells and memory cell precursors. J IMMUNOL. 178:3483-3491. Weblink
Ashton-Rickardt PG. (2005). The granule pathway of programmed cell death. CRIT REV IMMUNOL. 25:161-182.
Hirst CE; Buzza MS; Bird CH; Warren HS; Cameron PU; Zhang ML; Ashton-Rickardt PG; Bird PI. (15 Jan 2003). The intracellular granzyme B inhibitor, proteinase inhibitor 9, is up-regulated during accessory cell maturation and effector cell degranulation, and its overexpression enhances CTL potency. J IMMUNOL. 170:805-815. Publsiher weblink
Liu N; Wang Y; Ashton-Rickardt PG. (02 Jul 2004). Serine protease inhibitor 2A inhibits caspase-independent cell death. FEBS LETT. 569:49-53. DOI.
Ashton-Rickardt PG. (Nov 2004). A license to remember. NAT IMMUNOL. 5:1097-1098. DOI.
Hettmann T; Opferman JT; Leiden JM; Ashton-Rickardt PG. (03 Feb 2003). A critical role for NF-kappa B transcription factors in the development of CD8(+) memory-phenotype T cells. IMMUNOL LETT. 85:297-300.
