Affiliated research groups at Umeå Centre for Microbial Research.
The Read More link lead to the researchers personal homepage.
Clinical Microbiology
Development of new diagnostic tools for infectious diseases
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Created: Monday, 18 June 2007 03:00
Diagnosis of tularemia tradionally relies on cultivation, PCR and serology, but there is still a need to improve the diagnostic possibilities, e.g., with regard to speed and prognostic markers. Moreover, some patients present with uncharacteristic symptoms and are therefore difficult to diagnose. The relatively high number of samples handled by the laboratory means that the laboratory staff may be exposed to the bacterium during routine work and since it is highly contagious, being at risk to contract tularemia. Therefore, improved assays that allow very rapid diagnosis are of high priority. We will now develop methods based on the characterization of the host response or secreted bacterial factors as rapid diagnostic tools that also can have prognostic potential. Moreover, we will develop very rapid methods for identification and typing of the bacterium to enhance the laboratory safety.
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PI: Anders Sjöstedt
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Alternative adenovirus vector for gene therapy
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Created: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 12:33
The murine retroviruses and human adenoviruses are the two most frequently used viral vector systems The murine retrovirus system is versatile. Limitations: . Safety and no access to non dividing cells. The Ad5 vector can not efficiently transduce hematopoietic cells. Ad5 is pathogenic and persistent for several years in children. The prevalence of immunity against Ad5 is high. An anamnestic immune response is seen upon administration of Ad5 vector which impairs a sustained expression of the transgene.
Adenivirus Vectors for Haematopoietic Cells
Hematopoietic cells are attractive targets for gene-therapy. However, no satisfactory adenoviral vectors are currently available. A major problem with the most commonly used adenovirus (Ad) vectors, based on either Ad2 or Ad5, is their low binding efficiency for hematopoietic cells which do not express the coxackie adenovirus receptor (CAR). Ad2 and Ad5 and several other Ad serotypes use CAR as a primary attachment receptor. However, far from all adenoviruses uses CAR as a receptor. In our search for adenovirus serotypes that would make efficient vectors for hematopoietic cells we have identified two Ad serotypes, Ad11p and Ad35p, that binds very well to all kinds of hematopoietic cells. I have so far studied the interaction of these serotypes with different committed hematopoietic cell lines, i.e. their ability to bind and infect.
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PI: Göran Wadell
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Component and mechanisms involved in regulation of virus
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Created: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 12:33
The main goal of our project is to learn more about the early events in virus life cycle. We want to identify and characterize components and mechanisms that regulate virus (adenovirus, picornavirus and influenza A virus) binding to and entry into target cells.
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PI: Niclas Arnberg
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Signal Transduction in Host-Microbial Interactions and Inflammation
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Created: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 12:33
Signal Transduction in Host-Microbial Interactions and Inflammation
Nelson Gekara
The innate immune system provides the first line of defense against microbes and other foreign substances. Innate immune detections of and responsiveness to microbes is mediated by sets of receptors known as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Our research is interested in understanding the mechanisms that govern the regulation of signaling pathways of microbe recognition receptors of the innate immunsystem.
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PI: Nelson Gekara
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Tick borne encephalitis virus and meningoencephalitis
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Created: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 12:33
Anna Överby
Tick borne encephalitis virus
Tick borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an important emerging human pathogen. The virus infection causes a broad spectrum of symptoms ranging from mild infections to more severe symptoms such as meningitis, encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fever associated with high mortality rates. The severity of the symptoms is strain dependent.
Whereas TBEV strains from Central Europe often cause milder disease, strains from Siberia and Far Eastern frequently lead to more severe symptoms. The molecular mechanism underlying this virus strain dependency remains elusive. Therefore, we are interested in identifying potential molecular strain differences and correlating them with pathogenicity.
Specific antiviral drugs are still not available and treatment of patients is limited to supportive care only. Although an effective vaccine is available, the number of clinical TBE cases is increasing both in Sweden and all over Europe.
Read More (Anna Överby's group at MIMS)
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PI: Anna Överby
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