Dr. Shames, CBID graduate, awarded NIH grant to work on effector-triggered immunity

Dr. Stephanie R. Shames, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Dept. of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology at Michigan State University, has been granted an R01 award by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH for her project "Mechanisms of effector-mediated cell-autonomous host defense against intracellular bacterial pathogens".  

Public Health Relevance Statement:  Legionnaires' Disease, caused by Legionella pneumophila (Lp), is the leading cause of drinking water-borne deaths in the US. Loss of PA28ab—a protein that helps cells remove damaged proteins—enhances immune cell killing of Lp without inducing excess inflammation. This research will reveal how disrupting protein quality control boosts antimicrobial immunity and whether PA28ab blockade is a viable therapeutic avenue to combat antibiotic-resistant infections by enhancing the body's natural defenses.