The Cholesterol-Pneumolysin Interaction as a Therapeutic Avenue for Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases (IPD)

collaborative DFG project (Schi 230/19-1; 1.6.2025 - 31.5.2028) with Jun-Prof. Adrian Press, Jena University Hospital, and Prof. Markus Gräler, Center for Molecular Biomedicine (CMB), University of Jena
we investigate the concept of counteracting cholesterol-dependent cytolysins utilizing novel, synthetic sterols that can interfere with the pathophysiology of S. pneumoniae infection and decipher the decoy and cellular protective mechanism of improved cholesterol derivative supplementations in IPD