INSERM U970

2 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Immunology and Infection

Introducing Shear Stress in the Study of Bacterial Adhesion

¹Blood vessels as a target for infection, Paris center for cardiovascular research, INSERM U970

During the infection process, a key step is the adhesion of pathogens with host cells. In most instances this adhesion step occurs in the presence of mechanical stress generated by flowing liquid. We describe a technique that introduces shear stress as an important parameter in the study of bacterial adhesion.

Immunology and Infection

Humanized Mouse Model to Study Bacterial Infections Targeting the Microvasculature

Keira Melican^1,2, Flore Aubey^1,2, Guillaume Duménil^1,2

¹INSERM U970, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, ²Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Université Paris Descartes

Neisseria meningitidis is a human specific pathogen that infects blood vessels. In this protocol human microvessels are introduced into a mouse by grafting human skin onto immunocompromised mice. Bacteria adhere extensively to the human vessels, leading to vascular damage and development of the purpuric rash typically observed in human cases.