Project JAGUAR: Mapping Immune Cell Diversity Across Latin America
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The role of genetic variants in immune cells from Multiple ancestries – JAGUAR study
IRAS ID
326490
Contact name
Gosia Trynka
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Immune responses are mediated by white (immune) cells in the blood. There are a number of different types of immune cells, each with their own role in immune response. These cells have to respond very quickly to an attack of a pathogen on the body, and importantly, they must also be very tightly controlled to avoid inappropriate immune responses. Our genetic make-up (genetic variation) plays an important component in the regulation of the immune response. Genetic variation shapes immune system diversity through multiple mechanisms, for example, how the initial recognition of pathogens occur or by influencing levels of expression of key mediators of the immune response. Dysregulation of these responses can lead to development of autoimmune diseases or severe outcomes of infections which can be life-threatening.
The majority of genomic studies of the immune cell functions, including our previous studies, have focused on how genetic variants influence immune cell functions, mainly using samples derived from European populations (Cano-Gamez et al. 2020; Soskic et al. 2019). However, it is critical to diversify genetic studies to other genetic ancestries to better understand how genetic differences impact immune response and disease outcomes and therefore inform development of more effective therapies. Latin American populations result from genetic and cultural admixture among Indigenous, European, African and Asian groups, additionally shaped by the rich diversity of ecosystems and population migrations. Mutation, migration and natural selection (including adaptation to regional pathogen pressures) have shaped the genetic variation resulting in variability of immune response to infections and immune challenges across different populations. One example of this is the variable prevalence of immune-mediated diseases across different populations, e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus is estimated to be at 1/ in 1,000 in Mexicans vs 1-4/ in 100,000 in Europeans. Project JAGUAR aims to recruit individuals from several Latin American countries and map the effects of genetic variation on gene expression regulation.
REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/0564
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion