Harnessing local immunity to block the development of secondary bacterial pneumonia

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  Project Leader
  Dr Linda Wakim

  wakiml@unimelb.edu.au

  View researcher's webpage

  +61 3 9035 4141

Project Details

S. aureus is a commensal organism found in the nasal passage of 20% of humans and carriage of S. aureus is a significant risk factor for secondary staphylococcal pneumonia post influenza virus infection. To date, there is no vaccine available against S. aureus and the emergence of multidrug resistant strains limit the use of antibiotics as a treatment option.

Little research has been undertaken to define the environmental, physiological and immunological changes that cause S. aureus to shift from the upper to the lower respiratory tract and convert from a commensal organism to pathogenic threat. We are investigating how the immune system can be harnessed to maintain S. aureus in the nasal passage following influenza virus infection and in doing so block the development of severe pulmonary bacterial pneumonia.