Thomas Borén

Bio:Helicobacter pylori, Adhesion and Patho-Adaptation
Helicobacter pylori infection causes chronic active gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. In the western world, 10% of people (22.000.000 individuals) develop peptic ulcers. Furthermore, H. pylori infection is tightly correlated with development of gastric cancer with >500.000 mortalities/Y and, H. pylori has been defined a carcinogen by the WHO. The project studies protein-carbohydrate interactions that mediate adherence of H. pylori to stomach tissue. Bacterial adherence is mediated by high-affinity (strong) binding to carbohydrates such as ABO antigens (displayed by the common ABO-blood group system). Our recent results demonstrate adaptation of H. pylori to changes in mucosal glycosylation patterns and, in addition, adaptation to ABO phenotypes in local population;
Our current projects and interests:
• Identification of the detailed carbohydrate binding domains of the H. pylori BabA and SabA adhesins
• Adhesins will be analyzed for adaptation in binding properties. Clones that have developed novel and adapted binding properties during infection of gastric mucosa will be identified by in vivo and in vitro selection.

e-mail:thomas.boren@medchem.umu.se
Address:University of Umeå
SE - Sweden

Last update: Thursday, June 27, 2013
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