Jean Villard
"Inflammation and allogeneic reactivity: impact for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation"
Lecture
In hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, allogeneic immunoreaction is reduced by the best HLA compatibility between donor and recipient. It is well known that inflammation induced by clinical events, such as infection, can trigger an alloimmune response leading to other clinical events, such as graft-versus-host-disease. This direct alloimmune response is a complex interplay between the TCR, the peptide and the MHC. Certain aspects of the TCR such as a cross reactivity, the size and clonality of the repertoire, the potential mimicry are key factors, which can be influenced by the HLA genotype, the expression of the HLA and other factors of MHC structure. Many aspects of these various factors have not been extensively studied. This study focuses on HLA expression at both the locus and allele-specific levels, going beyond the scope of inflammation alone. Then we will describe the impact of the T-cell receptor repertoire, according to different donor-recipient combinations in the context of inflammation. And finally, the potential noncoding variants, which can regulate locus and allelic HLA gene expression will be presented.
Biography
MD in internal medicine and immunology/allergology, Jean Villard obtained a MD/PhD at the Faculty of Science at the University of Geneva in 1998 in the field of the regulation of MHC. Since then, he has become the head of the Immunology and transplant unit at the University Hospital of Geneva, where he is also in charge of the cellular therapy facilities for the clinical program of cellular and tissue transplantations. As ex-president and member of the medical committee of the Swisstransplant foundation, he has elaborated with colleagues the allocation system for renal transplantation which is currently in place at a national level. He is also involved in the European Federation for Immunogenetics to promote immunogenetics in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantations, organ transplantations, HLA disease associations (autoimmunity) and in host response to pathogens.
15 Aug 2023