Grant: Operating Grant - Priority Announcement: Infection and Immunity (Bridge Funding)

Chlamydiae are globally important bacteria causing human infectious diseases with serious consequences, including pneumonia, conjunctivitis, sextually transmitted diseases and infirtility. More recently, studies suggest that chlamydial infection may contribute to the development of cardiovascular and neurological diseases. The lack of a clear understanding of the mechanisms by which Chlamydiae induce protective and pathological reactions has been a major obstacle for rational development of a safe and effective vaccine. In the proposed study, our objective is to perform a series of in-depth mechanistic experiments mostly using mouse models to investigator how the immune cells interact each other and how this interaction influence the capacity of the host to fight against chlamydial infection. The information gained from this study has the potential to help chlamydial vaccine development and the design for new methods in preventing and treating chlamydial diseases.