Summary
This research project investigates the impact of polymicrobial interactions and within-host adaptation on the development and progression of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), aiming to identify new targets for prevention and treatment.
What they want
The project will determine how interactions between Enterococcus faecalis, Proteus mirabilis, and Escherichia coli, along with within-host adaptation, affect CAUTI pathogenesis. This includes assessing bacterial viability, transcription profiles, and biofilm composition in an "artificial bladder model," as well as colonization, immune stimulation, and infection progression in a mouse CAUTI model. The research will also identify genotypic and phenotypic changes in these bacterial species during persistent colonization and examine their contribution to biofilm formation, CAUTI severity, and polymicrobial interactions. The long-term objective is to identify new targets for preventing or disrupting recalcitrant polymicrobial biofilms and to inform treatment strategies for catheterized patients with persistent polymicrobial bacteriuria.
Deliverables
- Data on bacterial viability, transcription profiles, and biofilm composition from an artificial bladder model
- Data on colonization, immune stimulation, and infection progression from a mouse CAUTI model
- Identification of genotypic and phenotypic changes in E. faecalis, P. mirabilis, and E. coli during persistent colonization
- Analysis of the contribution of identified changes to biofilm formation, CAUTI severity, and polymicrobial interactions
- Insights into new targets for preventing or disrupting polymicrobial biofilms
- Information to inform treatment strategies for catheterized patients with persistent polymicrobial bacteriuria
Technical requirements
- Artificial bladder model
- Mouse CAUTI model
