Patent · US Expired

Compositions and methods to modulate H. influenzae pathogenesis

US7838502B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
6References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 6, 2005
Grant dateNov 23, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 20, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61K2039/522
  • WIPO fieldPharmaceuticals
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The present invention discloses novel signaling pathways controlling the pathogenesis of the human respiratory bacterium, Haemophilus influenzae. The lipooligosaccharide-phosphorylycholine (LOS-PC) cell surface epitope of H. influenzae enhances pathogenesis but also increases bacterial susceptibility to innate and adaptive immunity and the administration of therapeutic compounds. Modulation of the LOS-PC epitope may be affected by an interaction between environmental conditions (i.e., for example, oxygen tension) and genetic regulation of precursor biosynthetic pathway activity. LOS-PC epitope display increases under microaerobic conditions and decreases under aerobic conditions. This is consisent with a bacteria's propensity to initiate pathogensis under low oxygen conditions. Pathogenesis may be prevented by disrupting the role of the putative H. influenzae homologue of CsrA, that downregulates galU expression. Disrupting CsrA repression of galU expression resulted in increased LOS-PC epitope display.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.