ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>XI International Meeting on Paracoccidioidomycosis</TITLE><link rel=STYLESHEET type=text/css href=css.css></HEAD><BODY aLink=#ff0000 bgColor=#FFFFFF leftMargin=0 link=#000000 text=#000000 topMargin=0 vLink=#000000 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><table align=center width=700 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td align=left bgcolor=#cccccc valign=top width=550><font face=arial size=2><strong><font face=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif size=3><font size=1>XI International Meeting on Paracoccidioidomycosis</font></font></strong><font face=Verdana size=1><b><br></b></font><font face=Verdana, Arial,Helvetica, sans-serif size=1><strong> </strong></font></font></td><td align=right bgcolor=#cccccc valign=top width=150><font face=arial size=2><strong><font face=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif size=1><font size=1>Resume:125-1</font></em></font></strong></font></td></tr><tr><td colspan=2><br><br><table align=center width=700><tr><td><b>Investigação</b><br><table width="100%"><tr><td width="60">125-1</td><td><b>Modifying the intracellular fate of Histoplasma capsulatum</b></td></tr><tr><td valign=top>Authors:</td><td><u>Josh Nosanchuk </u> (EINSTEIN - Albert Einstein College of Medicine) </td></tr></table><p align=justify><b><font size=2>Abstract</font></b><p align=justify class=tres><font size=2>Histoplasma capsulatum variety capsulatum is the most prevalent thermally dimorphic endemic mycoses in North America and a major cause of disease in Central and South America. Current antifungal drugs are powerful therapeutics, but excess mortality continues to occur in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients with histoplasmosis. Monoclonal antibodies are powerful tools for studying diverse aspects of the biology of pathogenic microbes. We have shown that antibodies to cell surface antigens of Histoplasma capsulatum, including heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60), histone 2B, and the M antigen, can modify the pathogenesis of histoplasmosis. Exploration of the mechanisms involved in the altered host-pathogen interactions in the presence of antibody have illuminated interesting aspects of pathogenesis, including new findings regarding phagocytic processes, intracellular survival and T cell stimulation. Interestingly, these studies can also inform us about basic antibody function, such as the differential impact of antibody isotype on disease outcome. Furthermore, we have recently utilized H. capsulatum-binding antibodies to study physical interactions, such as fungal cell aggregation and its influence on pathogenesis. The antibodies have also facilitated the study of the recently described secreted fungal vesicles and have opened avenues for exploring protein-protein interactions that have thus far allowed us to gain new insights into the regulation and trafficking of key cellular proteins. Hence, monoclonal antibodies are an extraordinary component of our toolbox for the exploration of H. capsulatum. These antibodies also are a platform for therapeutic development. x</font></p><br><b>Keyword: </b>&nbsp;Histoplasma, Antibody, Pathogenesis</td></tr></table></tr></td></table></body></html>