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Dr. Trevejo-Nunez is interested in the role of IL-22/ IL-22Ra2 during pneumococcal pneumonia. In United States, pneumococcal pneumonia (lung infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae) accounts for significant percentage of morbidity and mortality. The most vulnerable population are children younger than 2 years old and individuals older than 65. Interleukin-22 (IL-22) signaling in the liver is important for control of pneumococcal pneumonia and treatment with this cytokine improves bacterial burden in animal models. Dr. Trevejo-Nunez overall hypothesis is that enhancement of IL-22 signaling, through therapeutic administration of IL-22 or absence of decoy receptor IL-22Ra2, favors bacterial clearance and host survival by sustaining the levels of STAT3 activation in lung epithelium and liver during in pneumococcal pneumonia. Dr. Trevejo-Nunez is also interested in the metabolic pathways used by alveolar macrophages in response to bacterial infections
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