NIH R01 · 2025
Invasion of the enteric nervous system by neurotropic Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) are Gram-positive, facultative intracellular bacteria that cause two types of brain infections in humans: diffuse (meningitis/meningoencephalitis) and focal brainstem (rhombencephalitis). Meningitis occurs in the setting of immune compromise, likely due to the failure of the immune system to limit exponential growth of Lm in tissues such as spleen or liver. This leads to high titer bacteremia and either direct invasion of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) or “stealth transport” of Lm associated with myeloid-derived cells that cross the BBB. In contrast, rhombencephalitis is an infection of a delayed nature that occurs in young, otherwise healthy immune competent…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.