Summary
Project Summary Worldwide, acute lower respiratory tract infections, including pneumococcal pneumonia, are a major cause of mortality among all infectious diseases. Streptococcus pneumoniae continues to be the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia. Children under the age of two are repeatedly exposed to pneumococcus. These exposures result in naturally acquired heterotypic immunity. This immunity is protective in adult years, but eventually wanes with advanced age. The immune-mediated mechanisms of heterotypic protection remain incompletely understood. Past studies from our lab show that mediat
