Tonsil project

The immune response to malaria within the germinal centre (Tonsil Studies) 

Study period: November 2022-October 2023

This project aims to study the development of adaptive immunity to malaria in the germinal centre using tonsil tissues obtained from children living in malaria-endemic areas who have undergone tonsillectomy at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. Specifically, the study aims to:

1. Map the immune response within the tonsil during malaria infection, 
2. Use tonsil cells from malaria infection and/or previously exposed children in germinal centre organoids to study malaria immune responses in vitro.

Study site: Mbale Regional Referral Hospital

Collaborators: Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Busitema University, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer, Burnet Institute (Australia) and Stanford University

Principal Investigators: Abel Kakuru, Michelle Boyle, and Christine Adoch,

Study Sponsor: Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer