Host-pathogen interactions
This theme focuses on understanding the intricate dynamics in human infection by a pathogenic organism.
By dissecting the mechanisms underlying the host response to pathogenic threats and identifying the key immune response defence strategies that impede infection and disease progression, we aim to develop new approaches to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
This includes the critical steps in identifying immune correlates of protection, which are pivotal in the design of effective vaccines against infectious diseases.
We will also establish how interaction with host immunity and exposure to drugs will drive the evolution of pathogens.
Using our established track record in pre-clinical and experimental medicine encompassing early- to late-stage clinical trials, our research is primed to inform the development of novel vaccines and therapeutic interventions against infectious diseases.
Work in this theme falls into three main categories.
In vitro mechanistic studies
Expertise within the Florey Institute spans a broad spectrum of disease and experimental models, from bacterial cells and communities to animal and human tissue models of infection, allowing for an integrated analysis of these interactions.
Our approach will employ in-depth mechanistic studies of host-pathogen interactions, using cutting-edge in vitro human tissue models.
We will conduct granular investigations at all biological scales, ranging from holistic human biology to intricate single-cell interactions.
This comprehensive exploration will enhance our understanding of human infection dynamics and pave the way for targeted therapeutic strategies.
Controlled human infection models
We aim to transform our understanding of human-pathogen interactions and immunological responses.
This is achieved by leveraging our team's extensive experience with a variety of established and emerging controlled human infection models, including:
- Salmonella Typhi
- Plasmodium vivax
- Staphylococcus aureus
- SARS-CoV2, the virus which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19.
These unique experimental medicine models serve as a powerful tool for interrogating human responses to pathogens.
They provide an accelerated pathway for understanding disease pathogenesis, and in expediting the development of novel vaccines and therapeutics.
Clinical trials and observational cohort studies
We will employ an integrated approach, utilising a platform of vaccine trials and observational human cohort studies to provide insight into host response to microbial antigens.
Alongside human challenge models, these clinical studies are crucial in establishing immune correlates of protection against infectious diseases.
In addition to studying the host responses in healthy populations, we will develop our research expertise in exploring the range of human responses to infection in immunocompromised populations.
Understanding where these vulnerabilities exist and how to overcome or circumvent is a key area of local academic and clinical expense, and is aligned with key deliverables in the Sheffield NIHR Biomedical Research Centre’s infection and immunity research theme.