Infection Dynamics of Ehrlichia chaffeensis

恰菲埃里希体的感染动态

• 批准号: 6891474
• 负责人: ANDREA S VARELA-STOKES
• 金额: $ 10.35万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-05-01 至 2007-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6891474
• 关键词: Ehrlichia; Ungulate; arthropod borne communicable disease; bacteria infection mechanism; clinical research; disease /disorder etiology; disease /disorder model; disease carrier state; disease reservoirs; disease vectors; ehrlichiosis; electron microscopy; emerging infectious disease; epizootiology; host organism interaction; human subject; immunocytochemistry; in situ hybridization; model design /development; monocyte; pathologic process; patient oriented research; ticks; tissue /cell culture; zoonosis

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Dr. Varela's immediate career goal is to complete a doctorate in philosophy in Veterinary Parasitology at the University of Georgia, while simultaneously making original contributions to her field of study, specifically, tick-borne disease. This training will be the foundation for her long-term career plans to become an academic biomedical researcher. Having recently completed a D.V.M., supplemented with several research experiences in wildlife parasitology, she is well prepared and eager to further enhance her credentials through an intense, four-year mentored program leading to a doctorate degree in Medical Microbiology and Parasitology. This additional training at the University of Georgia will enable Dr. Varela to further hone her skills in molecular parasitology and experimental animal studies, which will be indispensable in allowing her to develop into an independent medical parasitologist. The overall objective of this proposal is to elucidate the infection dynamics of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis and the most important emerging tick-borne disease in the southeastern United States, in the natural wild reservoir host, white-tailed deer. Our central hypothesis is that deer and ticks develop a persistent infection with E. chaffeensis that allows for the maintenance of this organism in nature, transmission to vector ticks, and subsequent creation of a human health risk. Our hypothesis of persistent infection will be tested by four specific aims: (1) understand the response to infection with multiple strains of E. chaffeensis in vitro and in vivo; (2) determine the degree of change in the level of organism following initiation of infection in deer and ticks; (3) identify the site of E. chaffeensis replication and maintenance in ticks; and (4) develop a monocyte primary cell culture in vitro model for investigating E. chaffeensis infection in different hosts. We are confident that the quality of the research environment at the University of Georgia, the critical mass of collaborating researchers focusing on the maintenance of ehrlichial organisms in nature, and the depth and breadth of background and training of her sponsor and co-sponsor create a strong research environment that will allow Dr. Varela to develop into an outstanding medical parasitologist and add to the understanding of tick-borne disease and human health.

描述（由申请人提供）：Varela 博士的近期职业目标是在佐治亚大学完成兽医寄生虫学哲学博士学位，同时为其研究领域（特别是蜱传疾病）做出原创贡献。此次培训将成为她成为学术生物医学研究员的长期职业计划的基础。她最近完成了 D.V.M. 学位，并补充了野生动物寄生虫学方面的一些研究经验，她已做好充分准备，并渴望通过为期四年的紧张指导项目进一步提高自己的资历，从而获得医学微生物学和寄生虫学博士学位。在佐治亚大学进行的额外培训将使巴雷拉博士进一步磨练她在分子寄生虫学和实验动物研究方面的技能，这对于她发展成为一名独立的医学寄生虫学家来说是不可或缺的。 该提案的总体目标是阐明查菲埃利希体（人类单核埃利希体病的病原体，也是美国东南部最重要的新出现的蜱传疾病）在天然野生宿主白尾鹿中的感染动态。我们的中心假设是，鹿和蜱虫会持续感染查菲埃里希体，从而使这种生物体在自然界中得以维持，传播给媒介蜱虫，并随后造成人类健康风险。我们对持续感染的假设将通过四个具体目标进行检验：（1）了解体外和体内对多种查菲埃里希体菌株感染的反应； (2) 确定鹿和蜱感染后微生物水平的变化程度； (3) 确定查菲埃里希体在蜱中复制和维持的位点； (4)开发单核细胞原代细胞培养体外模型，用于研究不同宿主中查菲埃里希体的感染。我们相信，佐治亚大学的研究环境质量、专注于自然界埃利希体生物维护的合作研究人员的数量、以及她的资助者和共同资助者的背景和培训的深度和广度，创造了一个强大的研究环境，使瓦雷拉博士能够发展成为一名杰出的医学寄生虫学家，并增进对蜱传疾病和人类健康的理解。