USA basic medical sciences graduate student research published

A new study examining early immune responses in the cornea was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. The study examined a type of lymphocyte known as a Gamma Delta T cell to provide protection in the cornea against Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HVS-1), the leading cause of infectious blindness in people in developing countries.

Steffani Fitzpatrick, a graduate student in the department of microbiology and immunology in the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, was the lead author. The research presented in the article documented immune responses that occurred in the cornea of the eye following an infection by the Herpes Simplex Virus.

Other collaborators include primary investigator Robert A. Barrington, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology at USA, and Robert N. Lausch, Ph.D., professor emeritus of microbiology and immunology.

Using an experimental model, researchers studied a type of lymphocyte called a Gamma Delta T cell. They found that a certain subset of Gamma Delta T cells helps to limit the corneal damage, reduces the spread of the HSV-1 virus and aids in survival following infection. The research also showed that the T cells produce a specific type of protein called IL-17 that helps with the defensive responses.

Previous research shows that Gamma Delta T cells offer an important early immune defense against a variety of viral and bacterial pathogens.

"As we learned more, we realized this could be a really important target," Barrington said. "One of the profound things that Steffani's work revealed is that it can potentially help improve the paradigm for how we measure the effectiveness of vaccines."

Current treatment options are limited to a few anti-viral medications that limit the spread of the virus, but there are no vaccines available to eliminate the virus, Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick successfully defended her thesis in September and will graduate from USA in December with a Ph.D. in basic medical sciences. This is the first time her research has been published in a national journal.

This study builds on more than 30 years of research produced during Lausch's career at USA, Barrington said. The current research was supported by grants from the Lions Eye Research Foundation in Mobile, Alabama.

"There's still more to be known,” Fitzpatrick said. "We are continuing to work on the project to fully understand the role the cells play."