Research in the Kotov lab focuses on the innate immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). This pathogen is the leading cause of death from a single infectious disease worldwide, yet lacks an efficacious vaccine and requires a 4-6 month course of antibiotic treatment. We believe that by understanding the host response to this infection, we can identify targets for host-directed therapies that could be used alongside antibiotics to reduce treatment times significantly. We focus on the innate immune response because macrophages are the dominant Mtb-harboring cell type, and an increase in innate immune cell numbers and activation are among the strongest correlates of tuberculosis disease progression in humans. To go beyond these human correlates, we utilize mouse models that mimic key aspects of human disease to mechanistically dissect how innate immune cells, such as plasmacytoid dendritic cells, macrophages, and neutrophils, regulate control of Mtb in vivo. By identifying the relevant cell types during Mtb infection and molecular pathways utilized by these cells to impact Mtb control, we hope to identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention. 

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