Description:

Title: Unweaving the Role of Staphylococcal Superantigens in the Pathogenesis of Infective Endocarditis

Speaker: Wilmara Salgado-Pabon/ University of Wisconsin-Madison

Host: Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis Training Program (IMPTG) /Alfa Herrera Trainee / Satchell lab

Topic: Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis (IE) is fulminant and leads to severe debilitating complications. We have evidence that staphylococcal superantigens play a novel and essential role in the etiology of S. aureus IE. Our current studies test the novel concept that enterotoxins target the endothelium to cause or promote IE.