Application of a cell culture model for sepsis to investigate host cell responses to intracellular pathogens

The aim of this project is to apply a cell culture model to reveal host cell responses provoked by intracellular pathogen infections and to copmpare these responses to those provoked by Gram-negative bacteria. In detail, a sepsis cell culture model based on monocytes and endothelial cells will be applied to investigate changes in biomarker secretion in order to correlate their concentration to the course of the disease. Further, different antibiotics will be applied and screened for their efficiency to treat infections with intracellular pathogens. A DNA microarray for intracellular as well as fastidious pathogens will be developed and an antibody microarray for biomarker detection will be applied. The project will result in a better understanding of intracellular infections. In addition, a diagnostic tool for the identification of intracellular pathogens and for monitoring the course of the disease will be developed.