Luciana Balboa Poster 2024

Dr Luciana Balboa

Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Epidemiological Distribution of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Pakistan

Poster Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) are key players in the host response to the tuberculosis agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which has been shown to interfere with DC functions, delaying the onset and development of adaptive immunity. Given our previous work demonstrating the importance of HIF-1α-mediated glycolysis in the migration of Mtb-stimulated DCs to lymph nodes, we asked whether inhibition of HIF-1α in DCs might limit the induction of adaptive immunity driven by the BCG vaccine strain.  We found increased glycolytic capacity and higher lactate levels in BCG-infected BMDCs compared to uninfected cells. Furthermore, this increase was abolished by the use of PX-478 (PX), an inhibitor of HIF-1α. Using an in vivo migration model, we found that BCG-infected BMDCs treated with PX were less efficient at reaching lymph nodes than untreated BCG-infected BMDCs. Consistent with this, fewer IFNγ-producing CD3+ CD4+ cells were detected among splenocytes from mice that received PX-treated BCG-infected BMDCs compared to those that received untreated BCG-infected BMDCs early after infection. Taken together, our data provide new insights into metabolic pathways capable of enhancing the migratory capacity of DCs, which could be used to promote the efficacy of TB preventive strategies.       

Biography

Luciana works as a Research Associate in Infectious Diseases at the Institute of Experimental Medicine (CONICET-Academia Nacional de Medicina) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is dedicated to the study of the mechanisms that regulate the immune response in TB. During the last 5 years, she has focused her research on the immunometabolic mechanisms of TB. She is the current co-president of the Young Academy of Argentina, and a member of the Global Young Academy, organizations aimed at giving voice to young scientists around the world. She is also an enthusiastic member of the Latin American Society of Tuberculosis and other Mycobacteriosis.