Current Methods for Investigating Spirochete Disease Pathogenesis

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editor

Reetika Chaurasia

Yale University

Dr. Reetika Chaurasia takes a multidisciplinary approach to her experimental studies of the pathogenesis of leptospirosis. Dr. Chaurasia received her PhD in Animal Sciences under the supervision of Prof. Manjula Sritharan from the University of Hyderabad, India, in 2019. Her research includes functional characterization of sphingomyelinases as virulent determinants in pathogenic Leptospira where she attributed leptospiral sphingomyelinases as a key factor to induced pore formation on the Vero cell surface. In addition, she identified the diagnostic potential of Hemin Binding protein (HbpA) and Sphingomyelinases in the urine of leptospirosis patients, which provided the future scope for the development of point-of-care devices for leptospiral antigen detection in urine or serum. Dr. Chaurasia is currently a post-doctoral associate in Internal medicine/Infectious Disease at Yale School of Medicine (since Feb 2019-present) working in the laboratory of Prof. Joseph M. Vinetz. Dr. Chaurasia has explored the newly discovered Virulence Modulating (VM) family of pathogenic Leptospira proteins, specifically developing tools to further explore mechanisms of VM proteins in leptospirosis pathogenesis. This work forms the basis of therapeutic implications for the treatment of severe leptospirosis and aims to develop a vaccine to prevent human leptospirosis. Her broad portfolio of research, experience in the field of infectious disease, and training expertise lead research in basic science and translational approaches to neglected tropical infectious diseases.

Collection Overview

Spirochaetes are spiral-shaped, slender bacteria that can be free-living or associated with a host. There are six genera of spirochaetes found in various environments, including the human oral cavity, gastrointestinal tracts of humans and mammals, insects, and marine environments. Some spirochaetes, such as Treponema (which causes Syphilis), Borrelia (which causes Lyme disease and relapsing fever), Leptospira (which causes leptospirosis), and Brachyspira (which causes intestinal spirochaetosis), are serious pathogens for humans and can cause severe diseases. Despite the identification of several potential virulence factors in these bacteria, the mechanisms of pathogenesis remain unclear. Understanding the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of spirochaetes is still in its infancy. This Methods Collection aims to demonstrate standardized protocols and techniques to address the recent and advanced challenges of studying host-pathogen interaction-mediated pathogenesis.