Advisory Committee Chair
John F Kearney
Advisory Committee Members
Charles Elson
Moon Nahm
Robinna Lorenz
Scott Barnum
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2013
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Heersink School of Medicine
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophytic fungus which can potentially cause life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. Although a serious threat, current treatments are largely ineffective at reducing morbidity and mortality. To this end, we have characterized a monoclonal antibody generated against Group B Streptococci, type Ib, which also recognizes Aspergillus fumigatus conidia and hyphae. We show that this antibody appears to bind a similar epitope on both pathogens and provides a significant degree of protection in a murine model of invasive aspergillosis via a mechanism that appears to be dependent on complement. The studies we performed using this antibody should be useful in developing more effective therapies for invasive aspergillosis.
Recommended Citation
Wharton, Rebekah, "Anti-Group B Streptococci Monoclonal Antibodies Protect against Invasive Aspergillosis" (2013). All ETDs from UAB. 3305.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3305