Cross-Kingdom Infection of Macrophages Reveals Pathogen- and Immune-Specific Global Reprogramming and Adaptation
Arjun Sukumaran, Brianna Ball, Jonathan R. Krieger, Jennifer Geddes‐McAlister
Abstract
The relationship between the human microbiota and infectious disease outcome is a rapidly expanding area of study. Understanding how the host responds to changes in its symbiotic relationship with microbes provides new insight into how disruption can promote disease. In this study, we investigated the evolving relationship between innate immune cells of the host during immediate and established infections with fungal and bacterial pathogens, commonly observed within the lungs of immunocompromised individuals. We observed critical reprogramming of each biological system over time and in response to the changing environment, which influences microbial virulence. The goal of this important work is to improve our fundamental understanding of pathogenesis, as well as the regulatory relationships between hosts and microbes that drive disease outcome. We envision defining improved therapeutic treatment options for the host dependent on disease state to reduce the global impact and burden of infectious diseases, especially in the face of ever-increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance.