Bacterial 'Shield' Study Can Lead to Innovation in Therapy

Over recent years, scientists have made numerous, new discoveries in the field of microbiology and bacterial research, and one of the most important finds has been the fact that the microorganisms that cause chronic lung infections “speak” with each other. This communication is devastating for the human body, because the small pathogens can erect a shield that protects them against the immune system. Behind their cover, they can multiply out of control, and wreck havoc in the lungs, eventually leading to the death of the host, AlphaGalileo reports.

These interactions now constitute the object of a new area of research that may yield completely new approaches to treating various types of bacterial infections in the future. A leading group of scientists from the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark has recently identified one of the defense mechanisms that invading bacteria use. While analyzing the organism Pseudomonas aeruginosa, they have noticed that it has the ability to start producing a class of molecules that destroys white blood cells in the bloodstream.

Without white cells, it's impossible for the human body to mount any kind of effective defenses against a spreading infection, the experts say. The pathogens then go on to form a slimy layer throughout the lungs. This formation is known as a biofilm, and it's usually highly resistant to both the immune system and antibiotics. Current research teams that are looking for methods of destroying these layers have made some headway with magnetically controlled nanoparticles, but a widespread implementation process for this method is still several years away.

“The ultimate goal [of this research] is to eradicate the present day's antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are involved in the bulk of chronic infections. Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious emerging health problems in the world today. More than 70 percent of the disease-causing bacteria are resistant to at least one of the currently available antibiotics. Studying interactions between P. aeruginosa and the innate and adaptive immune response will provide valuable information for the design of novel antimicrobials,” UC Professor Michael Givskov, the leader of the new investigation, concludes.