Treatment Strategies

Novel treatment strategies to boost the host immune system

Pharmacological agents with known or suspected immunostimulatory activities will be screened by immunofluorescence microscopy for their ability to augment formation of ETs in host immune cells. Subsequently, in vitro cell culture assays will be used to assess whether induction of ETs correlates with enhanced binding and killing of bacteria.

In cooperation with Prof. William N. Setzer, Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, we will search for novel natural products that have the ability to boost host immune defense and/or neutralize bacterial host evasion factors. Specifically, Prof. Setzer will provide plant material collected from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica. Here we will test crude extracts from these plants for bactericidal/bacteriostatic activity, cytotoxicity or their ability to boost the host immune system e.g. the formation of antimicrobial ETs or phagocytosis. In cooperation with the Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, selected extracts which show biological activity will be fractionated and the active compounds will be identified.