Host-pathogen interactions (KB-21-006-019)

For a number of years, there is an important new development in the knowledge about how cells and tissues of the host respond to infection by pathogens. This newly discovered signaling molecules, called miRNA, play a very large role in the host response. In humans, where this development has begun, more than 1900 different miRNA’s have been detected. For several animal species a similarly large variety already has been shown.

 

Host-pathogen interactions, particularly for intracellular bacterial infections, are very important for the etiology, pathogenesis and immunological response. A large number of notifiable animal diseases belongs to this intracellular bacterial (and sometimes even chronic), infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, brucellosis, Q-fever, Tularensis and Chlamydia.

 

The aim of this project is development of expertise in the field of identification and analysis of microRNA expression profiles to understand better the host response to intracellular bacterial infections. This can help to develop new approaches for intervention and diagnostics for intracellular bacterial pathogens. The development of this expertise is based on an in vitro infection model. Macrophage cell lines are used in combination with the intracellular bacteria M. bovis, Brucella spp., and M. avium spp., Coxiella and Chlamydia. Of these combinations miRNA profiles are created and then analyzed. This could possible determine miRNA profiles that can be used as a biomarker for bacterium species and/or degree of pathogenicity.