Professor Muazzam Jacobs PhD

Experimental Tuberculosis and Immunology Research Group

Full Member, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine & Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UCT; NHLS Medical Scientist.

The Experimental Tuberculosis and Immunology Research Group forms part of the Division of Immunology, which is jointly affiliated to the University of Cape Town and the National Health Laboratory Service. Research areas of interest include understanding basic mechanisms of host immune function against tuberculosis; and the evaluation of anti-tuberculosis therapy and therapeutic approaches. The group has significant skills and expertise in the application of in vitro cell culture and in vivo murine experimental models of tuberculosis, making extensive use of genetically modified mouse strains in which loss or gain of function studies can be performed. Research projects include investigating immune responses during pulmonary tuberculosis and central nervous system tuberculosis, and investigating efficacy of anti-mycobacterial lead compounds and drug delivery systems.

Projects:

• TNFR1 and TNFR2 in protective immunity against M. tuberculosis infection
• Tm-TNF and tuberculosis
• Cell specific TNF and tuberculosis
• Experimental tuberculosis meningitis
• Orthopoxvirinae and MyD88

Selected publications:

Segueni, N., Benmerzoug, S., Rose, S., Gauthier, A., Bourigault, M.-L., Reverchon, F., Philippeau, A., Erard, F., Le Bert, M., Bouscayrol, H., Wachter, T., Garcia, I., Kollias, G., Jacobs, M., Ryffel, B., Quesniaux, V.F.J. Innate myeloid cell TNFR1 mediates first line defence against primary Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. (2016) Scientific Reports 6, 22454.

Randall, P.J., Hsu, N.-J., Quesniaux, V., Ryffel, B., Jacobs, M. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of the 'non-classical immune cell'. (2015) Immunology and Cell Biology 93(9):789-795.

Francisco, N.M., Hsu, N.-J., Keeton, R., Randall, P., Sebesho, B., Allie, N., Govender, D., Quesniaux, V., Ryffel, B., Kellaway, L., Jacobs, M. TNF-dependent regulation and activation of innate immune cells are essential for host protection against cerebral tuberculosis. (2015) Journal of Neuroinflammation 12(1)125.

Spanos, J.P., Hsu, N.-J., Jacobs, M. Microglia are crucial regulators of neuro-immunity during central nervous system tuberculosis. (2015) Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 9 MAY, 14.

Wilson, G.J., Marakalala, M.J., Hoving, J.C., Van Laarhoven, A., Drummond, R.A., Kerscher, B., Keeton, R., Van De Vosse, E., Ottenhoff, T.H.M., Plantinga, T.S., Alisjahbana, B., Govender, D., Besra, G.S., Netea, M.G., Reid, D.M., Willment, J.A., Jacobs, M., Yamasaki, S., Van Crevel, R., Brown, G.D.  The C-type lectin receptor CLECSF8/CLEC4D is a key component of anti-mycobacterial immunity. (2015) Cell Host and Microbe 17(2):252-259.

Contact details:

Division of Immunology
Room S1.09, level 1, Wernher & Beit South
Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Cape Town
Observatory 7925
South Africa

Tel:  +27 21 406 6078
Fax: +27 21 406 6078
Email: muazzam.jacobs@uct.ac.za

Alternate site: www.health.uct.ac.za/fhs/departments/cls/immunology/about

Group members:

Collaborations:

International

Berhard Ryffel (Institute Transgenose, CNRS)

Valerie Quesniaux (Institute Transgenose, CNRS, France)

Don Mark Estes (University of Georgia, USA)

Stefan Magez (University of Vrije University, Belgium)

Gordon Brown (Aberdeen University)

Sergei Nedospasov (Deutchse-Rheuma Forschungzsentrum, Germany).

Irene Garcia   (University of Geneva, Switzerland)

George Kollias (Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Flemming" Institute, Greece)

South African

Anwar Jardine, (Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town)

Lauriston Kellaway (Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town)

Dirk Lang(Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town)

Peter Folb (Medical Research Council)

Peter Smith (Department of Pharmacology, University of Cape Town)

Eliyah Madikane (Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Cape Town)

Paul van Helden (University of Stellenbosch)

Niresh Baghwandin Medical Research Council)