title: Urinary Tract Infection Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Translation.
abstract: Rapid developments in infection biology create new and exciting options for individualized diagnostics and therapy. Such new practices are needed to improve patient survival and reduce morbidity. Molecular determinants of host resistance to infection are being characterized, making it possible to identify susceptible individuals and to predict their risk for future morbidity. Immunotherapy is emerging as a new strategy to treat infections worldwide and controlled boosting of the host immune defense represents an important therapeutic alternative to antibiotics. In proof of concept studies, we have demonstrated that this approach is feasible. The long-term goal is not just to remove the pathogens but to also develop technologies that restore resistance to infection in disease-prone patients and devise personalized therapeutic interventions. Here, we discuss some approaches to reaching these goals, in patients with urinary tract infection (UTI). We describe critical host signaling pathways that define symptoms and pathology and the genetic control of innate immune responses that balance protection against tissue damage. For some of these genes, human relevance has been documented in clinical studies, identifying them as potential targets for immune-modulatory therapies, as a complement to antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology (MIG), Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. gabriela.godaly@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Godaly
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology (MIG), Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. ines.ambite@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ambite
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology (MIG), Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. manoj.puthia@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Manoj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puthia
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology (MIG), Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. aftab.nadeem@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Aftab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nadeem
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology (MIG), Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. james.hcs@gmail.com.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology (MIG), Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. dr.nkaroly@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Karoly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology (MIG), Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. yujing.huang@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Yujing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology (MIG), Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. gustav.rydstrom@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rydström
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology (MIG), Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. catharina.svanborg@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Catharina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svanborg
keywords: genetics; immunomodulation; innate immunity; susceptibility; urinary tract infection