Hill Group

Relapsing bacterial infections require prolonged and repetitive antibiotic treatment schedules associated with the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Small reservoirs of bacteria called persisters underlie relapsing infections. Persisters are genetically antibiotic-sensitive bacterial cells that transiently enter a non-proliferative state marked by low drug susceptibility. Persisters often reside in macrophages where they are protected from drug-mediated killing.

Using invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella as a model, we aim to identify host-targeted perturbations that can disrupt the persister-permissive macrophage niche and promote persister eradication without inducing immunopathology. If successful, this will pave the way for development of next-generation immunomodulatory therapies to treat relapsing bacterial infections.