Final Report Summary - VIP (Blood vessels as a target for infection)
Several key questions raised in the initial ERC project have been addressed and published. These questions pertain to the human disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. In particular, the function of Neisseria meningitidis type IV pili, the cross talk with endothelial cells during infection, and the role of adhesion during the infection process. This project includes the study of bacterial aggregation in vivo and in vitro, the identifications of the bacterial factors necessary for vascular colonization and the role of the innate immunity components. Beyond N. meningitidis infection, new concepts at the interface between biology and physics have been put forward and recently published in high impact journals. A total of 11 scientific publications have resulted from this funding and several additional publications are under way. This work has been advertised internationally to scientists and to a broad public through numerous scientific presentations and videos. From the application point of view results obtained lead to potential treatment strategies and we will apply to a, ERC proof of concept grant (POC) to continue in this direction. On the human side, the ERC funding allowed 4 postdocs and 2 students to be recruited and trained. Several others benefited from the funding as well. The ERC consolidator grant has been a fantastic opportunity to train young scientist, generate new ideas and tools to treat human diseases and will have a lasting impact.