Lab Research Focus
We study the interactions of host defenses and bacterial virulence factors in bacterial infections. Our approach is to use both bacterial and animal genetics to identify and study important mechanisms in protection and virulence. We have identified a cell wall protein of pneumococci, PspA, that is important for pneumococcal virulence and which may be useful as a vaccine for very young children. Studies are underway to characterize the protection eliciting portion of PspAs from different childhood strains of pneumococci, and to assemble these into an effective human vaccine. We are studying the mode of action of other pneumococcal virulence factors including pneumolysin, PspC, and PsaA. We are investigating the possibility of developing a pneumococcal vaccine that would prevent pneumococcal carriage as well as invasive disease. In other studies we are investigating the in vivo regulation of virulence known genes, and the identification of new virulence genes. We also study the effects of specific immunity and inflammation induced host immunity on the in vivo killing and growth rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
|
|
|
