Associate ProfessorPatrick Bertolino

The liver immunology group is studying the unique relationship between the liver and the immune system. Livers dampen down immunity to such an extent that they can be transplanted without rejection in some cases. Livers may not only be tolerated, but may also prevent the rejection of other organ grafts from the same donor, a process known as immune tolerance.

Although this tolerance effect leads to better outcomes in transplantation, it can be detrimental during infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and malaria, that use this liver property to persist, leading to chronic infection.

Having already shown that the liver, like the lymph nodes, can activate T cells, a key cell of the immune system, the group is investigating how the liver induces immune tolerance and how immunity can be enhanced in this organ. This knowledge could not only lead to better treatments in transplantation, but also to more effective prevention and treatment of chronic liver disease.

The laboratory is also examining people undergoing liver transplantation for disease related to hepatitis C infection, which recurs post-transplant, and can cause recurrent disease. By studying the immune response to the hepatitis C virus in this group of patients, the researchers hope to gain important insights into factors that could improve treatment outcomes.

This group’s research is also providing some important clues to improve the success of human gene therapy.