Investigating the repertoire of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factors in nosocomial pneumonia
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a hospital-acquired pathogen that causes difficult-to-treat infections, especially when caused by antibiotic-resistant isolates. There is a high unmet medical need, particularly for pneumonia, which often progresses to severe disease with high morbidity and mortality despite adequate antibiotic treatment. In order to increase the translational reach of the research results of the PAFAP project (see link below), the "drug hunters" of the DZIF research area Novel Antibiotics have joined forces with medical microbiologists of the research area Healthcare-Associated Infections at the University Hospital of Tübingen (UKT).
The aim of the collaboration is to study P. aeruginosa strains from the UKT's central patient registry. The researchers want to find out which virulence factors play a role in hospital-acquired pneumonia and how they relate to the course of the disease.
The results will be used to investigate the possibility of developing diagnostic tests. Certain virulence factors could be used as biomarkers to aid in the prognosis or diagnosis of infections.