Matthew Sweet

From

The University of Queensland - AU

In residence at

Infectiology and Public Health (ISP) / Centre INRAE Val de Loire, University of Tours - FR

Host scientist

Ronan Kapetanovic

PROJECT

Evaluating an mRNA-based agent for anti-infective effects in immune cells from livestock animals

This  project  aims to evaluate a novel anti-infective approach that, in the longer-term, may have potential applications in the livestock sector. The approach involves enhancing a specific antibacterial response of macrophages, key immune cells involved in defending against and overcoming infectious diseases. The antibacterial response to be manipulated is zinc intoxication, in which macrophages mobilise zinc to fight pathogens through metal ion poisoning. We previously demonstrated that, in human macrophages, the zinc transport protein SLC30A1 can drive zinc intoxication of intracellular bacteria, enabling their killing. The project aims to boost this zinc intoxication response in primary macrophages from livestock animals (pig, chickens) via delivery of an mRNA encoding SLC30A1. It is anticipated that increasing SLC30A1 expression in pig and chicken macrophages through this means will weaponize them for more efficient killing of bacterial pathogens such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium that is particularly relevant to these two livestock species and that is one of the main causes of food poisoning in France.