Gad Frankel | Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine - Inglaterra

• Grant number: 96/04696-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: August 04, 1996
• End date: August 21, 1996
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Magda Maria Sales Carneiro-Sampaio
• Grantee: Magda Maria Sales Carneiro-Sampaio
• Visiting researcher: Gad Frankel
• Visiting researcher institution: Imperial College London, England
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 95/09747-1 - Characterization of anti-adhesine antibodies of Escherichia (EPEC) present in human colostrum and study of the human and secretory response to EPRC: bases for the development of vaccines, AP.TEM

Abstract

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a common cause of diarrhoea, particularly among young infants (less than two years old) in developing countries. The aims of our collaboration are to study molecular and cellular aspects of EPEC infection and to assess the potential of EPEC-virulence-factors as future vaccine components. We have already started to determine antibody responses (both IgG and IgA) to selected EPEC virulence factors, which we have recently purified using recombinant DNA technology, in humans. These include BfpA, the bundle forming pili subunit that is implicated in the initial stages of EPEC colonisation, EaeB, a secreted protein involved in activation of host cell signal transduction pathways and intimin, an outer membrane protein required for intimate attachment to enterocytes and effacing of microvilli. In particular, we intend to determine the prevalence of antibodies to two intimin derivatives, reprinting two evolutionary distinct EPEC lineages and to identify immune-dominant intimin epitopes. (AU)