Détection de la cytokine TSLP dans des cellules épithéliales nasales par test ELISA

Detection of the TSLP cytokine in nasal epithelial cells cultured in 96-well plates, using an ELISA test. Sexual transmission of the HIV-1 virus chiefly occurs when infected cells in genital fluids come into contact with the genital mucosa. This intercellular contact, referred to as a viral synapse, induces mass local production of the infectious virus, as well as the secretion of cytokines by the mucosal cell. These cytokines include thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), which in this case acts as a chemokine (a protein that controls the positioning of immune cells in tissues). This means that while the virus crosses the mucosal epithelial barrier without infecting it to reach the interior of the tissue, the TSLP secreted by these mucosal cells attracts the virus target cells, such as Langerhans cells, towards the lumen of the mucosa. These Langerhans cells then capture the virus and start the infection. The "Mucosal entry of HIV and mucosal immunity" team led by Morgane Bomsel is attempting to target TSLP in order to develop a prophylactic treatment that prevents the mucosal transmission of the virus. TSLP is also secreted when the vaccine developed by the laboratory comes into contact with the nasal mucosa. Scientists are trying to understand how this mechanism is regulated. To do this, they evaluate TSLP secretion by the nasal mucosa after contact with the vaccine in vitro. Two forms of TSLP have been discovered, one long and one short, with different functions.