How Bacteria cause Disease in the Urinary Tract (2011-2015)
Abstract
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the primary cause of urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the most common infectious diseases of humans. UPEC represent a model organism to study bacterial virulence and host-pathogen interactions. They exhibit both extra-cellular and intracellular lifestyles, they form biofilms and they can infect and persist within professional phagocytes. This research will dissect these facets of UPEC virulence and therefore addresses multiple themes in bacterial pathogenesis. The work will advance our knowledge on UPEC virulence, host-pathogen interactions and may facilitate the development of new approaches for the prevention and treatment of UTI.
