Staphylococcal superantigens at the commensal pathogen interface

Staphylococcus aureus is a formidable bacterial pathogen that produces exotoxins known as superantigens. These toxins have evolved to engage key human antigen receptors resulting in the targeting and activation of enormous numbers of T cells and these interactions can lead to a dangerous disease known as toxic shock syndrome. This presentation will explain the molecular basis by how superantigens function, will describe how superantigens may participate in multiple other contexts beyond toxic shock syndrome, and will discuss anti-virulence strategies designed to inhibit superantigen expression.

John McCormick is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and a Scientist in the Lawson Health Research Institute (LHRI). He also holds memberships with the Canadian Research and Development Centre for Probiotics at LHRI, the Centre for Human Immunology at UWO, and the Centre for Translational Cancer Research at the London Regional Cancer Center (LRCC).
His laboratory has a primary focus on bacterial exotoxins produced by the bacterial pathogens Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. One major focus is on the bacterial superantigens, which function by directly activating T cells of the adaptive immune system, and his laboratory is interested in understanding how the toxins contribute to both colonization and disease. In addition, his lab is interested in mechanistic studies of toxic shock syndrome, and in particular, the regulatory cues that control expression of the superantigen toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1). Lastly, his lab is engineering superantigens for use as targeted anti-cancer immunotherapeutics.

Moderation: Professor Dr. Nikolai Siemens


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