INTERFERON MEDIATED CONTROL OF LEGIONELLA INFECTION

Abstract

Bacterial lung infections are a serious cause of illness and death in humans. To fight infection the body activates the immune system using a network of signalling molecules. We are studying exactly how one of these signalling molecules called interferon controls the infection. Interferon induces the killing of bacteria that are replicating inside human lung cells. How interferon drives bacterial death is not known and this will be studied in this proposal.