Brendan W. Wren

Are bacterial exotoxins cytokine network regulators

Bacterial exotoxins are generally thought to act by damaging cells or altering cell metabolism. However, recent work has established that many exotoxins modulate eukaryotic cell cytokine synthesis. Cytokine induction may play a significant role in exotoxin action, and therapeutic targeting of cytokines could be beneficial in infectious diseases involving bacterial exotoxins.

DNA Probes and PCR Analysis in the Detection of Clostridium difficile and Helicobacter pylori

We have undertaken the molecular characterisation of a variety of species-specific antigens and potential virulence determinants from the enteric pathogens Clostridium difficile and Helicobacter pylori. The cloning and sequencing of these determinants has allowed the construction of nucleic acid probes and the synthesis of oligonucleotide primers used in PCR analysis for the sensitive and specific detection of these organisms.