Severe infections are the leading cause of death worldwide. Bronchopulmonary infections, either community or nosocomial, are very frequent and burdened with a particularly high morbidity and mortality. These infections can indeed result in acute respiratory failure, septic shock with multi-visceral failure, recurrent infections, and can lead to the death of patients as well as the progression of the underlying chronic lung disease. The clinical presentation and prognosis of these infections are very dependent on the characteristics of the host, in particular the integrity of pulmonary or systemic immunity. They can indeed affect immunocompetent subjects, but also patients with chronic bronchopulmonary pathologies (cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or with chronic or transient systemic immunosuppression.
We are thus engaged in research programs aimed at better understanding and treating bacterial infections, particularly bronchopulmonary infections, which lead to pneumonia and sepsis and which promote the progression of underlying chronic pulmonary diseases. The team is led by clinician-researchers convinced of the complementarity of a truly translational approach to host-pathogen interactions, from basic research to clinical applications. The main lines of research are: i) host factors that contribute to susceptibility to acute and chronic bacterial infections; ii) the immunological mechanisms involved in chronic bronchopulmonary infections, more specifically in cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis; iii) the mechanisms and consequences of immunosuppression induced by an acute attack on the pulmonary defenses against infections.