Research in the Starnbach lab uses a combination of cellular and molecular approaches in the analysis of cellular immune responses to pathogens that cause chronic bacterial infections. Many virulence factors have been identified that allow bacteria to survive and replicate within the mammalian host and often within host cells. We have focused on the immune consequences of these survival strategies, specifically asking the following questions: What are the pathways for recognition of antigens from intracellular bacterial pathogens? How do bacterial virulence factors subvert or inhibit cellular immune responses allowing for chronic infection? How can we promote the recognition of bacterial antigens that may or may not be recognized in the context of natural infections? What are the key host effector cells and pathways needed for protective immune responses to intracellular bacterial pathogens and their products?
Our approaches are built on evidence that chronic infection is a result of pathogen-induced depression of the adaptive immune response. In particular, we have characterized a number of mechanisms by which pathogens inhibit effective T cell responses. Among the organisms we use in our studies are C. trachomatis, the most common bacterial cause of sexually transmitted disease in the developed world; Salmonella typhimurium, a model of typhoid fever, and Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease.
Please visit our publications page to read more about our research