About
Aging comes with specific pathologies that result in dependency states and high hospitalization rates, resulting in very high social and economic burdens. Understanding age-related pathologies is therefore critically needed. Listeria monocytogenes is the etiological agent of listeriosis, a rare but severe infection with a fatality rate above 30%. Listeria is also a powerful model to study host-pathogen interactions, in particular immune responses. The incidence of listeriosis increases with age, similarly to several other pathogens. This research project aims at understanding the susceptibility to listeriosis upon aging. It will also shed light on the interplay between intracellular pathogens and the immune system in the elderly. The aims of this project are:
(i) to characterize the increased susceptibility towards Listeria upon aging,
(ii) to systematically analyze gene regulation in immune cells, at the single cell level, to reveal pathways critical for increased susceptibility towards Listeria upon aging,
(iii) to assess functionally the pathways identified, in a clinically relevant in vivo model and listeriosis patients’ samples.
Increased susceptibility to infection upon aging is a major public health issue and, therefore, a high-priority research topic. The project we propose will bring critical insights to understand better the interplay between intracellular pathogens and the immune system in the elderly.
