Infection
Infectious disease is a major cause of reduced life expectancy in developing countries. Research within the Strategic Research Theme of Infection at Imperial College is both nationally and internationally acclaimed. Infection research spans basic science, through clinical investigation to population-based research.
Current research projects in the theme of Infection include the study of pathogen genomics, for example using bacterial whole-genome microarrays. Investigation into the SARS viral aetiological agent has recently been carried out in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong.
Epidemiological research into influenza pandemics has also been very successful. The Infection Research Theme benefits from being closely related to the Inflammation and Immunity Strategic Research Theme.
Strategic Theme Leader for Infection: Professor Charles Bangham (c.bangham@imperial.ac.uk).
HTLV-I Gag and Env proteins are unpolarised in an isolated T cell, but accumulate at the cell-cell junction within 40 minutes of cell contact (Igakura et al (2003) Science 299:1713-1716).
Most viruses spread by releasing thousands of tiny virus particles from an infected cell, which then travel to other cells or other individuals in the blood or other fluids. But the human T-cell leukaemia virus, HTLV-1, has developed a quite different strategy. It waits until the infected cell - a T lymphocyte - makes contact with another cell. The virus then causes the infected cell to re-orient its cytoskeleton towards the point where the two cells meet, and a combination of virus protein and the viral genome are transferred directly into the new cell. This strategy helps to minimize the exposure of the virus to the immune system. The image shows a contact between two T lymphocytes: the green stain shows the adhesion-related protein talin, and the red stain shows the HTLV-1 core protein Gag. From Igakura et al. (2003) Science 299: 1713-1716.
HTLV-I Gag protein and talin accumulate in distinct domains at the cell-cell junction (Igakura et al (2003) Science 299:1713-1716).
