Lab Research Focus
We study the interactions of host defenses and bacterial virulence factors in infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Our approach is to use both bacterial and animal genetics to identify and study important mechanisms in protection and virulence against colonization and invasive disease. We have identified a cell wall protein of pneumococci, PspA, which is important for pneumococcal virulence and which may be useful as a vaccine for very young children. We have found that this protein protects pneumococci from complement deposition and attack by apolactoferrin. It also elicits antibody in humans that can protect mice from fatal infection. We are also studying the mode of action and vaccine potential of other pneumococcal virulence factors including pneumolysin, PspC, PsaA, PcpA, and neuraminidase A. With support from NIH, The Gates Foundation, and PATH we are contributing to efforts to develop a pneumococcal vaccine based on a mixture of pneumococcal protein antigens. We are also involved in efforts to develop a rapid test for pneumococcal infection. In other studies we are contributing to work at UAB to monitor the year-to-year changes in pneumococcal strains to make sure that any vaccine that is developed will contain the correct pneumococcal alleles.
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