The Bou Ghanem Lab
Aging-driven changes in host-pathogen interactions
Research
The number of older adults above 65 years of age is projected to reach > 2 billion by 2050. Aging is associated with increased susceptibility to pulmonary infections with worse prognosis that adversely impact longevity and the quality of life. Pneumonia is one of the top causes of death in older adults. My lab is focused on understanding why we become more susceptible to infections as we age and if there is a way to reverse or prevent that. We do so by studying how immunosenescence alters host-pathogen interactions and the networks that govern that. For all our studies, we use relevant models of disease followed by clinical verification of findings.
Projects
Extracellular Adenosine signaling
We study this damage response signaling pathway and its role in host defense and immunesenescence. The goal is to discover novel therapies against infection.
Sex-based differences in responses
We study how biological sex influences vaccine responses. The goal is to ultimately have personalized preventative approaches against infections that are tailored to the individual.
Neutrophils in host defense
We study neutrophils, the most abundant white blood cell in the circulation. The goal is to understand how the behaviour of these cells and their ability to control infection changes with aging.
Designing better vaccines
We collaborate with the Pfeifer group to design novel vaccine formulations that are better protecting aged hosts against infection.
Neutrophils in vaccine responses
We study the intersection of innate and adaptive immunity. The goal is to understand how neutrophils control antibody responses to vaccines.
S. pneumoniae/ IAV coinfection
We study how neutrophil responses are altered in the context of secondary bacterial pneumonia following flu infection. The goal is to understand how polymicrobial infections alter immunity.
Approach
In vitro approaches
We model bacterial-mamalian cell interactions in vitro and use varying methods to assess neutrophil effector activities.
In vivo models
We do in vivo infections using models that closely mimic human disease and the transition of S. pneumoniae from asymptomatic colonizers to disease causing pathogens.
Translational research
We measure responses of immune cells from human participants and have conducted clinical trials assessing neutrophil responses to the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in young and older adults.