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Neisseria meningitidis is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, a potentially fatal condition that particularly affects children. Multiple steps are involved during the pathogenesis of infection, including the colonisation of healthy individuals and invasion of the bacterium into the cerebrospinal fluid. The bacterium is capable of adhering to, and entering into, a range of human cell types, which facilitates its ability to cause disease. This article summarises the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions at the cellular level during meningococcal carriage and disease.

Original publication

DOI

10.1017/S1462399404008087

Type

Journal article

Journal

Expert Rev Mol Med

Publication Date

09/07/2004

Volume

6

Pages

1 - 14

Keywords

Adhesins, Bacterial, Animals, Bacterial Adhesion, Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins, Cell Proliferation, Cells, Disease Progression, Extracellular Matrix, Humans, Meningitis, Meningococcal, Models, Biological, Neisseria meningitidis, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide