Development of Host-directed Therapies against Bacterial and Viral Respiratory Infection
EXPLOITING THE HOST RESPONSE TO RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS FOR NOVEL THERAPIES
Our laboratory studies the host response to viral and bacterial respiratory infections with particular focus on innate immunity in the lung. We discovered that lung infections lead to the production of oxidised cholesterols, which facilitate the migration of macrophages into the lung which drives inflammation.
We further found an oxysterol receptor antagonist significantly reduced viral loads and inflammation in animals infected with SARS-CoV-2 and resulted in less severe disease.
This project will now investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying these observations.
Note: The honours student will NOT work with live SARS-CoV-2 during this project and the project will be entirely PC2 laboratory based.