Mohamed, Sally (2023). The role of tissue resident macrophages during cryptococcal infection. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.
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Mohamed2023PhD.pdf
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Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a yeast-like fungus that may cause opportunistic infections in vulnerable patients including pulmonary disease and life-threating meningitis.There is a limited availability of antifungal drugs and the mortality rate of cryptococcal meningitis (CM) remains unacceptably high. Alternative and adjunctive immune-based therapies and vaccines are therefore needed. However, the development of new treatments depends on a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms mediating antifungal immunity. The specific roles of tissue resident macrophages during C. neoformans infection is not well understood, and this is particularly true for central nervous system (CNS) resident macrophages, called microglia. In this thesis, several models of C. neoformans infection in microglia- deficient mice was developed and used to elucidate the function of microglia in vivo. Microglia were found to support C. neoformans growth by providing a site for the fungus to acquire the important micronutrient copper, thus optimising fungal growth and virulence within the CNS. Stimulation of microglia with IFN
| Type of Work: | Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.) | |||||||||
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| Award Type: | Doctorates > Ph.D. | |||||||||
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| Licence: | All rights reserved | |||||||||
| College/Faculty: | Colleges (2008 onwards) > College of Medical & Dental Sciences | |||||||||
| School or Department: | Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy | |||||||||
| Funders: | Medical Research Council | |||||||||
| Subjects: | Q Science > QR Microbiology > QR180 Immunology | |||||||||
| URI: | http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/13911 |
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