Pathogen fights between spreading and antibiotic protection
Published: Monday, Oct 28th 2024, 12:00
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The bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa cannot spread and protect itself from antibiotics at the same time. When the bacterium infects the lungs, it has to find a balance in order to survive.
In order to survive under difficult conditions, P. aeruginosa forms a biofilm and coats itself with a self-produced matrix that offers protection against antibiotics, as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) announced on Monday. With this biofilm, however, the bacterium loses the ability to find nutrients and spread effectively.
Researchers at EPFL have discovered that the bacterium switches between biofilm formation to protect itself from antibiotics and a more mobile planktonic state to spread and access nutrients, depending on the availability and need for nutrients. The study was published in "Nature Microbiology".
In order to better understand the behavior of the bacterium, the research team cultivated it on a mucus-covered tissue model that mimics the human lung. According to the researchers, the study of pathogens such as P. aeruginosa in infection models is of crucial importance in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
P. aeruginosa is one of the main causes of hospital-acquired infections and causes long-lasting, antibiotic-resistant infections that cause damage, especially in people with lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis, COPD or bronchiectasis.
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