Infection Dynamics of Ehrlichia chaffeensis

恰菲埃里希体的感染动态

基本信息

批准号：
7008577
负责人：
ANDREA S VARELA-STOKES
金额：
$ 10.59万
依托单位：
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2004
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2004-05-01 至 2008-01-31
项目状态：
已结题

项目摘要

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）：瓦雷拉博士的直接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，同时为她的研究领域（特别是tick虫病）做出了原始贡献。这项培训将成为她长期职业计划成为学术生物医学研究人员的基础。最近，她完成了D.V.M.，并补充了野生动植物寄生虫学的几项研究经验，她已经做好了充分的准备，并渴望通过一项激烈的，四年的指导计划进一步增强她的证书，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Varela博士能够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，这将是必不可少的，使她能够发展成为独立的医学寄生虫学家。该提案的总体目的是阐明人类单核细胞性ehrllichiisois的致病药物和美国东南部最重要的新兴tick传播疾病的感染动力学，在自然野生储层宿主中，白尾鹿，白尾鹿。我们的核心假设是，鹿和壁虱会通过大肠杆菌形成一种持续的感染，可以维持这种生物在性质上，传播到向量tick虫，并随后产生人类健康风险。我们对持续感染的假设将通过四个特定目的测试：（1）了解多种含有大叶咖啡菌的体外和体内菌株对感染的反应；（2）确定在鹿和壁虱中引发感染后生物体的变化程度；（3）在壁虱中确定Chaffeensis复制和维护的位置；（4）在体外模型中开发单核细胞原代细胞培养，用于研究不同宿主中的小叶虫感染。 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.