Page 100 - MemoriaES-Eng

RESEARCH GROUPS

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PROGRAMME:
Group 2
Pneumonia / í
New Therapeutic Targets*

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Group Members
Lead Researcher

Garca Lpez, Ernesto
STAFF MEMBERS
Domenech Lucas, Mirian

Ruiz Garca, Susana
Contact:
ASSOCIATED MEMBERS
Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas.
C/ Ramiro de Maeztu, 9. 28040 Madrid. Dez Martnez, Roberto
Garca Gonzlez, Pedro
Phone: (+34) 91 837 31 12
E.mail: [email protected] Moscoso Naya, Miriam
Ramos Sevillano, Elisa
Website: http://www.cib.csic.es/es/Group.php?idGroup=7
Yuste Lobo, Jos Enrique

Main lines of research

The development of invasive pneumococcal disease is preceded by the es-

tablishment of the “carrier state”, this is, the colonization of the human

nasopharynx by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). Pneumococcal
carriage takes place through the establishment of a still largely unknown,

host-pathogen interplay as well as by interactions with other bacteria colo- 13
nizing the same habitat, such as non-typeable pneumococci, other strep- 20
T
tococci of the mitis group, or pathogens like Haemophilus influenzae. Most R
PO
of these interactions involve bacterial surface proteins on one hand, and E
cellular receptors and host defense mechanisms on the other. Cell wall hy- L R
A
drolases (CWHs) are surface proteins produced by the pneumococcus that NU
are directly involved in virulence. Thus, LytB and LytC are essential in naso- N
A
pharyngeal colonization and help to avoid host immunity, while LytA triggers /
ES
the release of other virulence factors, like the potent toxin pneumolysin and ER
the neuraminidase and plays an important role in pathogenesis by releasing B
* 1) Multidisciplinary translational CI
research in respiratory tract cell wall fragments that are markedly pro-inflammatory. All these CWHs are
infections 2) Respiratory infections:
100
from mechanisms to therapeutics
involved in biofilm formation. The role(s) in colonization of LytA and pneu-
molysin will be studied using biofilms (either mono or multispecies), cell