Models of pneumococcal disease

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of invasive Gram-positive disease. Infection progresses from the nasopharynx to otitis, pneumonia, bacteremia, sepsis and meningitis. Steadily increasing multidrug resistance has forced testing of new antibiotics and vaccines, as well as new adjunctive therapies based on insights into pathogenesis. This review discusses the models for each disease manifestation from both the host and bacterial perspectives and their impact on discovery of new therapeutics.

Section editors:Enitan Carrol – Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research, Blantyre and Liverpool, Malawi and UKAndrew Riordan – Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK