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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27325352Vaccine. 2016 Jul 25;34(34):3979-85. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.06.046. Epub 2016 Jun 17.Immunization with chlamydial type III secretion antigens reduces vaginal shedding and prevents fallopian tube pathology following live C.
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James B. MahonyBSc,
James B. MahonyBSc, PhDProfessor
Research Interests
Dr. Mahony’s research interests focus on the pathophysiology of respiratory pathogens including influenza, SARS and coronaviruses and the obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae.One of the major focuses of the laboratory is the development of new antimicrobial agents for both respiratory viruses and chlamydiae. Most antimicrobial agents are small molecules and interact with a small number of amino acids of the target protein. The laboratory is developing peptide mimetics that will target protein-protein interactive domains (20-30 aa) that should be refractory to the development of resistance. We have developed a novel influenza inhibitor that blocks viral transcription and are presently testing it against high pathogenicity avian influenza virus. The second major research interest of the laboratory is the characterization of proteins of the type III secretion system of Chlamydia and elucidating how these proteins interact to form the secretion apparatus. The goal is to identify novel drug targets and then develop peptidomimetics that will inhibit protein interaction and type III secretion. We have recently been successful with this approach and have developed inhibitors for type III secretion in C. pneumoniae, C. trachomatis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a major respiratory pathogen) that inhibit bacterial cell invasion.Additional projects in the laboratory include the elucidation of how coronaviruses interfere with the innate immune response in myeloid dendritic cells, identification of host cell proteins controlling West Nile virus infection, and development of improved diagnostic tests for potentially pandemic influenza viruses.
Contact
McMaster University St. Joseph's Healthcaretelephone: 905-521-6021 email: mahonyj@mcmaster.ca
Program Area
Infection & Immunity
Research Focus
Emerging viral infections, Chlamydia vaccine development, Anti-viral therapeutics, Genetic engineering of commensal bacteria to deliver therapeutic proteinsView faculty member's publications on PubMed
Selected Publications