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Controlling infection by tuning in and turning down the volume of bacterial small-talk
Miguel Cámara1, Paul Williams, Andrea Hardman
1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract:
As the prevalence of bacterial resistance to multiple antibiotics increases it is becoming progressively more difficult to treat infections and, in many cases, the available therapeutic options are severely limited. Hence, there is a growing urgency to the search for novel targets and the development of new antimicrobials. To infect a host and cause disease bacteria produce an array of virulence determinants that contribute to pathogenesis. It is now known that many different Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens communicate via the production and sensing of small, diffusible signal molecules, to coordinate virulence determinant production. As a consequence, this event, now termed quorum sensing, represents a novel therapeutic target offering the opportunity to attenuate virulence, and thus control infection, by blocking cell-to-cell communication.
Insights
Bacterial infections are harder to treat due to rising antibiotic resistance. Targeting bacterial communication (quorum sensing) offers a new way to control infections by blocking virulence factor production.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics complicates infection treatment.
- Limited therapeutic options necessitate novel antimicrobial strategies.
- Bacterial virulence factors are essential for causing disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore quorum sensing as a novel therapeutic target.
- To investigate methods for attenuating bacterial virulence by disrupting communication.
Main Methods:
- Identifying and characterizing quorum sensing pathways in pathogens.
- Developing strategies to block bacterial cell-to-cell communication.
Main Results:
- Quorum sensing is a conserved mechanism for coordinating virulence in many pathogens.
- Blocking quorum sensing can attenuate bacterial virulence without directly killing bacteria.
Conclusions:
- Quorum sensing represents a promising novel target for antimicrobial drug development.
- Disrupting bacterial communication offers a strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.