Université de Fribourg

Granzyme B attenuates bacterial virulence by targeting secreted factors

López León, Diego ; Matthey, Patricia ; Fellay, Isabelle ; Blanchard, Marianne ; Martinvalet, Denis ; Mantel, Pierre-Yves ; Filgueira, Luis ; Walch, Michael

In: iScience, 2020, vol. 23, no. 3, p. 100932

Pathogenic bacteria secrete virulence factors that interact with the human host to establish infections. The human immune system evolved multiple mechanisms to fight bacterial invaders, including immune proteases that were demonstrated to contribute crucially to antibacterial defense. Here we show that granzyme B degrades multiple secreted virulence mediators from Listeria monocytogenes,...

Université de Fribourg

γδ T cells kill Plasmodium falciparum in a granzyme- and granulysin-dependent mechanism during the late blood stage

Hernández-Castañeda, Maria Andrea ; Happ, Katharina ; Cattalani, Filippo ; Wallimann, Alexandra ; Blanchard, Marianne ; Fellay, Isabelle ; Scolari, Brigitte ; Lannes, Nils ; Mbagwu, Smart Ikechukwu ; Fellay, Benoît ; Filgueira, Luis ; Mantel, Pierre-Yves ; Walch, Michael

In: The Journal of Immunology, 2020, vol. 204, no. 7, p. 1798–1809

Plasmodium spp., the causative agent of malaria, have a complex life cycle. The exponential growth of the parasites during the blood stage is responsible for almost all malaria-associated morbidity and mortality. Therefore, tight immune control of the intraerythrocytic replication of the parasite is essential to prevent clinical malaria. Despite evidence that the particular lymphocyte subset ...

Université de Fribourg

Silver-nanoparticles increase bactericidal activity and radical oxygen responses against bacterial pathogens in human osteoclasts

Aurore, Valerie ; Caldana, Fabienne ; Blanchard, Marianne ; Kharoubi Hess, Solange ; Lannes, Nils ; Mantel, Pierre-Yves ; Filgueira, Luis ; Walch, Michael

In: Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 2018, vol. 14, no. 2, p. 601–607

Bone infections are difficult to treat and can lead to severe tissue destruction. Acute bone infections are usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Osteoclasts, which belong to the monocyte/macrophage lineage, are the key cells in bone infections. They are not well equipped for killing bacteria and may serve as a reservoir for bacterial pathogens. Silver has been known for centuries for its...