Investigating infections

24 November 2008

Two new programme grants awarded through the Immunology and Infectious Disease funding stream should boost our understanding of two pathogens that pose a significant threat to human health.

Professor Brendan Wren from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine will work with Dr Gillian Douce from the University of Glasgow to study the so-called superbug Clostridium difficile. The number of cases of C. difficile-related disease has increased dramatically over the last decade, and is thought to be linked to the particularly aggressive 027 and A-B+ strains.

The researchers will compare the genetic and functional aspects of ‘historical’ non-epidemic versions of these strains with their modern day counterparts, to explore how these strains have become so harmful. Ultimately, understanding how this has occurred should help in the development of new treatments for the disease.

At Imperial College London, Professor Wendy Barclay and colleagues will use influenza viruses collected from human infections to try and understand why some flu strains are more harmful than others. They will be exploring the idea that some strains of influenza cause a very strong immune response, which does more harm than good.

Image: Influenza viruses infecting cells of the trachea; R Dourmashkin, Wellcome Images