Morphological switch of Mycobacterium avium - mechanisms and impact on pathogenesis

Projekt: Avhandling

Projektinformation

Beskrivning

Pathogenic atypical mycobacteria are ubiquitous in the environment and are capable of causing disseminated or chronic pulmonary diseases in patients with immunosuppression or underlying lung disorders. As atypical mycobacteria are resistant to many antibiotics and disinfectants, both the prevention and treatments of these infections are very challenging. With the global increase of infections caused by atypical mycobacteria, further understanding of the basic biology of these pathogens and virulence is fundamental for the future design of diagnostic tests and effective therapeutic strategies.

Atypical mycobacteria can survive in a vast range of environments from being free-living in water or soil, associated with amoebae or biofilm or within a host for instance. This capacity relies on the sensing of environmental signals and epigenetic changes leading to morphological variation that are currently poorly understood. Importantly, this plasticity can lead to a switch into a virulent phenotype and an ability to modulate the host immune system and establish an infection. The focus of the project is therefore to understand the regulation of environmentally driven virulence of Mycobacterium avium and to study the molecular mechanisms by which morphological changes of these bacteria impact host immune responses.
StatusPågående
Gällande start-/slutdatum2021/08/26 → …

Finansiering

  • Stiftelsen Sigurd och Elsa Goljes Minne