Publications by authors named "Fiona Rudkin"

Phagocytosis is an essential component of our immune defence against fungal pathogens. Differences in the dynamics of phagocyte migration, recognition, uptake and phagolysosome maturation are dependent on the characteristics of the fungal cargo, and in particular to differences in cell wall composition and cellular morphology. However, studies that have focused on phagocyte interactions with individual fungal species have not enabled comparisons in the kinetics of these interactions to be made between these different species.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The high global burden of over one million annual lethal fungal infections reflects a lack of protective vaccines, late diagnosis and inadequate chemotherapy. Here, we have generated a unique set of fully human anti-Candida monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with diagnostic and therapeutic potential by expressing recombinant antibodies from genes cloned from the B cells of patients suffering from candidiasis. Single class switched memory B cells isolated from donors serum-positive for anti-Candida IgG were differentiated in vitro and screened against recombinant Candida albicans Hyr1 cell wall protein and whole fungal cell wall preparations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unlabelled: An important first line of defense against Candida albicans infections is the killing of fungal cells by professional phagocytes of the innate immune system, such as polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) and macrophages. In this study, we employed live-cell video microscopy coupled with dynamic image analysis tools to provide insights into the complexity of C. albicans phagocytosis when macrophages and PMNs were incubated with C.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The drive to exploit novel targets and biological pathways has lead to the expansion of classical antibody research into innovative fragment adaptations and novel scaffolds. The hope being that alternative or cryptic epitopes may be targeted, tissue inaccessibility may be overcome, and easier engineering options will facilitate multivalent, multi-targeting approaches. To this end, we have been isolating shark single domains to gain a greater understanding of their potential as therapeutic agents.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Candida albicans is a major life-threatening human fungal pathogen. Host defence against systemic Candida infection relies mainly on phagocytosis of fungal cells by cells of the innate immune system. In this study, we have employed video microscopy, coupled with sophisticated image analysis tools, to assess the contribution of distinct C.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF