Systems Biology and Bioinformatics in Medical Applications
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacterial pathogen of increasing medical significance in military and civilian healthcare facilities. The importance of A. baumannii infections in war-related injuries is well established. A. baumannii was the most common gram-negative bacillus recovered from traumatic injuries to the lower extremities during the Vietnam War. More recently a new series of infections was reported in U.S. service personnel injured in the Iraq/Kuwait/Afghanistan regions during Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and many of these isolates expressed a high degree of antimicrobial resistance. In addition, the incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii infections, associated with significant morbidity and mortality, are increasing worldwide. Thus there is a critical need to identify potential vaccine antigens and new drug targets expressed by A. baumannii. In the past year we have made significant progress in our research. We identified three surface polysaccharides and three proteins that may serve as vaccine candidates and/or drug targets. We have developed an animal model that will allow us to test the se bacterial components in vivo. Finally, we completely sequenced and annotated the genome of A. baumannii 307, which allows us to search for novel targets in silico.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA520552
Entities
People
- Bruce A. Holm