W. Edward Swords, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Microbiology&Immunology
Email: wswords@wfubmc.edu
Education:
B.S., Auburn University, 1988
Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1996
Research Interests:
Cellular Microbiology of Airway Infections
Although microbiologists and immunologists tend to think of host/pathogen interactions in a negative sense, in reality most encounters between bacteria and host cells are asymptomatic. The focus of my laboratory is on defining how commensal bacteria and the host develop and maintain a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship. Understanding commensalism is particularly important to understanding how these relationships are subverted during opportunistic infections. Excellent examples include airway infections in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is the fourth-leading cause of death worldwide, and opportunistic bacterial infections that occur in synergy with viral infections. We have defined structural features of commensal bacteria that decrease host innate responses, allowing for persistent colonization in the absence of overt symptoms. We are currently defining how these common structures change during bacterial carriage, and how other factors such as interplay between infectious agents affect host colonization.
Publications:
West-Barnette S, Rockel A, Swords WE. Biofilm growth increases phosphorylcholine content and decreases potency of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae endotoxins.
Infect Immun. 2006 Mar;74(3):1828-36.
Swords WE, Guenthner PC, Birkness KA, Lal RB, Dezzutti CS, Quinn FD. Mycobacterium xenopi multiplies within human macrophages and enhances HIV replication in vitro. Microb Pathog. 2006 Feb;40(2):41-7.
Swords WE, Jones PA, and Apicella MA. 2003. The lipooligosaccharides of Haemophilus influenzae: an interesting array of characters. J Endotoxin Res 9:131-44
Swords WE, and Rubin BK 2003 Macrolide antibiotics, bacterial populations and inflammatory airway disease. Neth J Med 61:242-8.
Swords WE, Moore ML, Godzicki L, Bukofzer G, Mitten MJ, and VonCannon J. 2004 Sialylation of lipooligosaccharides promotes biofilm formation by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. Infect. Immun. 72:106-13
Publications:
For a listing of additional publications, refer to PubMed, a service provided by the National Library of Medicine