Microbial, Parasitic, and Fungal Immunology

Microbial immunology is the study of the molecular mechanisms used by microorganisms to cause disease in humans and animals. Bacterial, protozoan, parasitic, and viral pathogens have developed a wide range of tools to proliferate in the host and obtain nutrients, causing resistance and disease.

Microbiologists and immunologists use all of the tools of modern sub-nuclear science inherited characteristics, destructive nature components, sedate collaborative efforts, natural science, and biophysics to understand the beautiful forms cast-off by infectious diseases. Knowing how microorganisms cause disease is usually the first step in the development of novel antibodies and therapies, and its expansion includes all aspects of the interrelationship between powerful authorities and their hosts.

• Cellular responses to bacterial, parasitic, viral and fungal pathogens
• Immunopathogenesis of bacterial, parasitic, viral and fungal infection
• Innate immunity against bacterial, parasitic, viral and fungal pathogens
• Mechanisms of host invasion, evasion, and resistance of virus (including HIV)
• Helminth parasites
• Apoptosis & viral infection
• Hepatitis viruses
• B-glucan & anti-fungal immunity prion

It is widely known that host defence mechanisms impact the presentation and severity of fungal infections, therefore clinical presentations of the disease are dependent on a patient's immunological response. For example, the immune system of humans influences whether type of illness develops after exposure to the widespread fungus aspergillus fumigatus or if candida albicans transitions from commensalism to infection. The host's defence systems against fungus are varied, ranging from primitive protective mechanisms present early in the development of complex organisms ('innate immunity') to complex adaptive mechanisms induced specifically during infection and disease ('adaptive immunity').

Infectious diseases harm over 14 million of people each year. Pathogens that cause these diseases include external bacteria, intracellular bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungus, and prions. Bacteria are single-celled, tiny prokaryotic creatures. Intracellular bacteria must penetrate host cells to multiply, whereas extracellular bacteria do not. Viruses are acellular, sub microscopic particles with a protein coat around an RNA or DNA genome.

Infectious myositis can be caused by a wide range of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. Because the musculature is relatively resistant to infection, infectious myositis is infrequent. In situations of bacterial myositis, for example, triggering events such as trauma, surgery, or the presence of foreign bodies or devitalized tissue are frequently present. Bacterial causes of myositis are classified as pyomyositis, psoas abscess, staphylococcus aureus myositis, group A streptococcal necrotizing myositis, group B streptococcal myositis, clostridial gas gangrene, and non-clostridial myositis.