Dr Graham Leggatt

Dr Graham Leggatt

BSc (UQ) Microbiology, PhD (UQ) Tropical Health
Position: Senior Lecturer

Room: 4RS.42.0
Building: UQ Diamantina Institute, Research Wing, Princess Alexandra Hospital
Phone: +61 7 317 65281
Email: g.leggatt@uq.edu.au

Biography

I completed a Bachelor of Science with honours at The University of Queensland in 1989 before undertaking Ph.D. studies on the immune response against parasitic worms (hydatid disease) at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR). After receiving my doctorate from UQ in 1993, I headed to the NIH (USA) in Washington D.C. for a 4 year postdoctoral fellowship in T cell immunity to the HIV virus. Finally, I returned to Brisbane in 1997 to commence work on immune responses to cancer antigens expressed in the epithelium (including skin) with Prof. Ian Frazer. I am currently a senior lecturer with a joint appointment between SCMB and the UQ Diamantina Institute (Princess Alexandra Hospital).

Research Focus and Collaborations

The lab has a long term research focus on understanding the generation and regulation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in response to epithelial tumour. We particularly focus on the local T cell response to target antigens in the skin during the development of squamous cell carcinoma or cervical cancer. An understanding of the immune cells which regulate CTL function (e.g. Treg and NKT), the receptors which control CTL trafficking to the skin and the nature of the skin cells which present antigen to the T cell will aid in the development of immunotherapies for these debilitating diseases.

Collaborators : Dale Godfrey (Melbourne), Shaun McColl (Adelaide), Nicholas Saunders (UQ), Nigel McMillan (UQ), Joanne Blanchfield (UQ).

Selected Publications

Jennifer K Broom, Andrew M Lew , Tony J Kenna, Hiroaki Azukizawa, Graham R Leggatt, Ian H Frazer (2010) CD4+ T cells enhance effector CD8+ T cell mediated epithelial graft rejection.  J. Inv Dermatol. 130: 1581-1589.

Stephen R Mattarollo, Michelle Yong, Lieven Tan, Ian H Frazer* and Graham R Leggatt* (2010) Secretion of IFN-gamma but not IL-17 by CD1d-restricted NKT cells enhances rejection of skin grafts expressing epithelial cell-derived antigen. J. Immunol. 184: 5663-5669. * These authors contributed equally.

Usriansyah Hadis, Graham R. Leggatt, Ranjeny Thomas, Ian H. Frazer and Eva M. Kovacs (2010)  IL-1 signalling determines the fate of skin grafts expressing non-self protein in keratinocytes.  Exp. Dermatol. 19:723-729.

Stephen R Mattarollo, Azad Rahimpour, Allison Choyce, Dale I Godfrey, Graham Leggatt* and Ian H Frazer (2010) Invariant NKT cells in hyperplastic skin induce a local immune suppressive environment by IFN-gamma production. J. Immunol. 184:1242-1250.

Sharmal Narayan, Allison Choyce, Richard Linedale, Nick Saunders, Alison Dahler, Emily Chan, Germain Fernando, Ian Frazer and Leggatt,G.R. (2009) Epithelial expression of Human Papillomavirus type 16 E7 protein results in peripheral CD8 T cell suppression mediated by CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. Eur. J. Immunol. 39: 481-490.

Wenyi Gu, Melanie Cochrane, Graham R. Leggatt, Elizabeth Payne, Allison Choyce, Fang Zhou, Robert Tindle and Nigel A. J. McMillan (2009) Both treated and untreated tumors are eliminated by short hairpin RNA-based induction of target-specific immune responses. PNAS 106:8314-8319.

Matsumoto, K., Leggatt, G.R., Zhong, J., Liu, X., DeKluyver, R., Peters, T., Fernando, G.J.P., Liem, A., Lambert, P., Frazer, I.H. (2004) Impaired antigen presentation limits effectiveness of combined active/passive immunotherapy for epithelial tumours. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 96: 1611-1619.

Trina J. Stewart, Mark J. Smyth, Germain J.P. Fernando, Ian H. Frazer and Graham R. Leggatt (2003) Inhibition of early tumor growth requires Jalpha 18-positive (NKT) cells. Cancer Research 63: 3058-3060.

Alexander-Miller, M., Leggatt, G.R. and Berzofsky, J.A. (1996) Selective expansion of high- or low-avidity cytotoxic T lymphocytes and efficacy for adoptive immunotherapy. P.N.A.S. 93,4102-4107.

Funded Projects

Cancer Council Queensland 2010-2012
Suppressor NKT cell trafficking to epithelial precancer
(Leggatt, Saunders)
Total value of grant: $300,000

Teaching

Immunology

Other Activities/Awards

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