from Rico Barsacchi, Varadharajan Sundaramurthy, Kees Korbee, Jacques Neefjes, Tom Ottenhoff, Tiziana Scanu and Marino Zerial writing in Systems Microbiology: Current Topics and Applications:
Host-microbe interactions are complex phenomena spanning multiple levels of complexity, from environmental and ecological factors up to the cellular and genetic levels of host responses. At each of these levels a relationship is established between one or more microorganisms and the host, resulting in formation of various forms of associations ranging from symbiosis to parasitism. Pathogens have the potential to cause disease in their hosts through host-pathogen interactions in which host defences are challenged by the invasive capacities of the pathogen. The aim of this chapter is to give an outline of attempts made to unravel the components of host-pathogen interactions at the cellular and molecular levels and to discuss strategies to skew the balance in favour of the host, focusing our attention on crucial intracellular pathogens causing globally relevant diseases such as tuberculosis, gastroenteritis, influenza and malaria.
Further reading: Systems Microbiology Related publications