SFTPC and bacterial meningitis: In vitro and animal experiments showed in strain D39 that the pneumococcal surface protein C PspC (also known as CbpA) are required for development of bacterial meningitis, and that TIGR4 derived recombinant PspC binds to laminin receptor; which is also targeted by other neurotropic pathogens including prions and bacteria such as Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitidis[22].