Page 44 - Annual report 2021-22
P. 44
Annual Report 2021-22 |
classical KP strain. These observations collectively suggest different pathophysiology of the two
strains. However, most reports on the immune response against KP used only the classical KP strain,
creating an urgent need to better understand the altered physiology of the immune response incited
by KPC and identify new therapeutic approaches.
Their ongoing research has identified diminished production of key inflammatory cytokines and
27
antimicrobial peptides, from human monocytes following KPC ST258 infection. Intriguingly a host
microRNA was hijacked by the pathogen to suppress inflammatory cytokine production from human
monocytes. This could be a decisive immune-evasion mechanism of the pathogen to bypass the host’s
immune response. Currently, the underlying mechanisms are under investigation.
“Man not only survives and functions in his environment, he shapes it
and he is shaped by it.” — René Dubos
