Date: Friday, 4 June 2021

Venue: Seminar Room 2&3, G/F, Laboratory Block, Faculty of Medicine Building, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

Time: 5:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Speaker: Mr. Victor Sebastien GRAY (PhD candidate)
Primary Supervisor: Dr. Heidi Guang Sheng LING
Presentation Title: Elucidating the mechanism for poor T cell responses in type 2 diabetes upon SARS-CoV-2 infection
Abstract: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a prominent risk factor for COVID19 severity and fatality. The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is dependent on adequate T cell mediated immunity, the efficacy of which is tightly regulated by cellular metabolic pathways. We hypothesise that insulin resistance impairs insulin receptor signalling upon T cell activation. This results in a failure to increase glucose uptake and subsequent metabolic reprogramming, essential to T cell function. These defects diminish protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection, thereby increasing susceptibility to developing severe disease. T2D patient samples alongside a T2D murine model, permissive to SARS-CoV2 infection, will be employed. Metabolic and functional assessment of virus-specific T cells during the course of acute infection will be performed, followed by therapeutic intervention targeting T cell metabolism. Preliminary data has shown that COVID19 patients with T2D exhibited reduced SARS-CoV2 specific T cell responses, suggesting that T cell dysfunction may contribute to poor viral control and poorer outcome.

All are welcome. 

Should you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact Miss Cecilia Chan at 3917 9493 or Miss Cynthia Cheung at 3917 9748.