The chlamydiae are gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterial parasites that can invade the host cell to exploit the host-derived intracellular vacuole for proliferation. Chlamydiae have evolved to adapt to a wide range of host species and can cause a wide range of acute and recalcitrant infections ranging from infertility, trachoma, and pneumonia. Evidence suggests that chlamydiae are associated with ovarian cancer when the infection persists for a prolonged duration. The immunobiology of chlamydiae is highly complicated and involves a broad array of host factors interacting via versatile mechanisms. For instance, recent investigations suggest that peptidoglycan recognition proteins lead to anti-chlamydia defense in the host and that compositional endocervical flora play a lead role against chlamydiae. Nonetheless, chlamydiae can escape the surveillance radars effectively and can cause latent sub-clinical infections. Hence, chlamydia remains a major public health challenge, is an important social and medical burden. Although some antimicrobial drugs are effective against chlamydiae, no vaccines are available, and the mechanisms leading to high rates of transmission remain unclear. Nonetheless, chlamydiae elicit a strong long-lasting immune response that is key to the concept of vaccine development. Further studies are needed to define the molecular pathways involved in the pathophysiology of chlamydial infections.
It is important to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of chlamydial infections, which would allow effective strategies for treatment and disease prevention. In this Research Topic, we aim to explore recent cutting-edge research covering the broad field of host immune responses to chlamydial infection.
We welcome the submission of Original Research, Reviews, and Mini-Review articles focusing on the following subtopics:
• Host-parasite interaction (between chlamydia and host in model animal and human infection settings).
• Cellular defense attributes to chlamydial immunopathogenesis (macrophages, neutrophils, T cells, B cells, mast cells, basophils, eosinophils, innate-like T cells, etc.)
• Humoral immune mechanisms against chlamydial pathogenesis (antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, chemokines, complement, etc.)
• Immunotherapeutics and immunodiagnostics for chlamydial infections.
• Vaccine strategies for chlamydia
• Persistence and immune evasion mechanisms of chlamydiae in the host.
The chlamydiae are gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterial parasites that can invade the host cell to exploit the host-derived intracellular vacuole for proliferation. Chlamydiae have evolved to adapt to a wide range of host species and can cause a wide range of acute and recalcitrant infections ranging from infertility, trachoma, and pneumonia. Evidence suggests that chlamydiae are associated with ovarian cancer when the infection persists for a prolonged duration. The immunobiology of chlamydiae is highly complicated and involves a broad array of host factors interacting via versatile mechanisms. For instance, recent investigations suggest that peptidoglycan recognition proteins lead to anti-chlamydia defense in the host and that compositional endocervical flora play a lead role against chlamydiae. Nonetheless, chlamydiae can escape the surveillance radars effectively and can cause latent sub-clinical infections. Hence, chlamydia remains a major public health challenge, is an important social and medical burden. Although some antimicrobial drugs are effective against chlamydiae, no vaccines are available, and the mechanisms leading to high rates of transmission remain unclear. Nonetheless, chlamydiae elicit a strong long-lasting immune response that is key to the concept of vaccine development. Further studies are needed to define the molecular pathways involved in the pathophysiology of chlamydial infections.
It is important to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of chlamydial infections, which would allow effective strategies for treatment and disease prevention. In this Research Topic, we aim to explore recent cutting-edge research covering the broad field of host immune responses to chlamydial infection.
We welcome the submission of Original Research, Reviews, and Mini-Review articles focusing on the following subtopics:
• Host-parasite interaction (between chlamydia and host in model animal and human infection settings).
• Cellular defense attributes to chlamydial immunopathogenesis (macrophages, neutrophils, T cells, B cells, mast cells, basophils, eosinophils, innate-like T cells, etc.)
• Humoral immune mechanisms against chlamydial pathogenesis (antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, chemokines, complement, etc.)
• Immunotherapeutics and immunodiagnostics for chlamydial infections.
• Vaccine strategies for chlamydia
• Persistence and immune evasion mechanisms of chlamydiae in the host.