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Atlas of human-vector microbe interactions sheds light on pathogenicity. In a recent study, Yale researchers pinpointed specific targets in the human body where pathogens carried by mosquitoes, ticks, and other vectors attach. They believe these findings could help combat the growing threat of vector-borne diseases, a major global cause of death.

The study, published in Cell, aimed to understand how pathogens interact with humans to cause infections and diseases. Thomas Hart, PhD, a postdoctoral associate at Yale School of Medicine , explained, “We tested interactions between thousands of human proteins and several microbial pathogens to identify crucial binding points.” Thomas Hart, PhD, explained that pathogens must bind with host molecules, particularly host proteins, to infect the host, evade the immune system , and cause symptoms.



In their study, PhD researchers used a yeast display library of 3,324 human proteins to examine interactions with 82 pathogen samples. This research enhances our understanding of how infectious diseases develop and identifies new targets for vaccines and treatments. One surprising discovery was that Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium causing Lyme disease, interacts with epidermal growth factor (EGF), which could impact Lyme disease pathogenesis, noted corresponding author Erol Fikrig, MD.

The researchers discovered that protein disulfide isomerase helps Rickettsial pathogens invade cells, causing diseases like spotted fever and scrub typhu.

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