Host-pathogen interactions during chronic Helicobacter infection
Helicobacter species establish chronic infection of the gastrointestinal tract of their mammalian host. Although they have been associated with deleterious inflammatory responses under some circumstances, in most cases chronic infection is not accompanied by any clinical disease. Recent work has also indicated that chronic Helicobacter infections can induce immune regulatory responses that prevent chronic inflammation, suggesting that a beneficial equilibrium is reached. However, the host and microbial factors that govern how such a set point is established are not well understood. This project will use experimental infection with intestinal Helicobacter species as a model to identify host-pathogen interactions that regulate protective and pathogenic immune responses in the gut. A better understanding of these pathways may offer new insights into preventing harmful immune pathologies in the intestine, such as inflammatory bowel disease.