Microbial pathogens, particularly those that have sustained a long-standing association with their hosts, have evolved extremely complex adaptations to secure their own replication and survival. The study of the cell biology and immunobiology of host/pathogen interactions is emerging as a key area of infectious disease research in the post-genomic era.
Recent advances are allowing the understanding of the intimate details of the functional, molecular, or in some cases even the atomic interface, between microbial pathogens and their hosts. A surprising finding from this level of understanding is that host/pathogen interactions are most often best characterized by their refinement and complexity than for their potential to cause harm. Many microbial products, often evolved to precisely mimic host cell determinants, have the capacity to modulate cellular functions. The study of these products most often illuminates not only the mechanisms by which pathogens subvert host cellular process but also bring in unique insight into the cell processes themselves. In conjunction with the Sections of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunobiology, many laboratories in our program are conducting research at the fore front of this exciting area of investigation. These studies range from the mechanisms by which pathogens harness the actin cytoskeleton or the membrane repair machinery to mediate their own uptake into host cells, to the different ways by which microbial pathogen subvert vesicular trafficking pathways to avoid antigen presentation or their delivery into harmful intracellular compartments.
