Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Quantifying the Cytotoxicity of Staphylococcus aureus Against Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes
12:27

Quantifying the Cytotoxicity of Staphylococcus aureus Against Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

Published on: January 3, 2020

6.9K

Staphylococcus aureus α toxin potentiates opportunistic bacterial lung infections

Taylor S Cohen1, Jamese J Hilliard1, Omari Jones-Nelson1

  • 1Department of Infectious Disease, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA.

Science Translational Medicine
|March 11, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Broad-spectrum antibiotics harm the microbiome. Targeting Staphylococcus aureus alpha toxin with antibodies can prevent deadly Gram-negative bacterial infections, offering a precision medicine approach.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Broad-spectrum antibiotics disrupt the microbiome and promote antibiotic resistance.
  • Pathogen-specific treatments are promising but face challenges with polymicrobial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Staphylococcus aureus alpha toxin in polymicrobial lung infections.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of alpha toxin neutralization in a mixed-infection model.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a mixed-pathogen lung infection model involving Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria.
  • Assessed the impact of alpha toxin on bacterial proliferation, host immune response, and lethality.
  • Administered alpha toxin-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies for prophylaxis and early treatment.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus aureus alpha toxin promotes Gram-negative bacterial growth and systemic spread by inhibiting macrophage phagosome acidification.
  • Neutralization of alpha toxin reduced Gram-negative pathogen proliferation and lethality.
  • Antibody treatment also enhanced Staphylococcus aureus clearance.

Conclusions:

  • Staphylococcus aureus alpha toxin is a key factor in polymicrobial infections, exacerbating Gram-negative bacterial disease.
  • Pathogen-specific antibody-based therapies targeting alpha toxin show potential for treating mixed infections, including those with drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

More Related Videos

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MRSA12:18

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MRSA

Published on: February 9, 2011

23.8K
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induced Lung Injury Model07:24

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induced Lung Injury Model

Published on: October 29, 2014

19.2K

Related Concept Videos

Staphylococcal Skin Infections01:29

Staphylococcal Skin Infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive coccus that resides harmlessly on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy individuals. When the skin barrier is breached, it can shift from a commensal to an opportunistic pathogen. This transition is facilitated by surface adhesins, such as clumping factor B and S. aureus surface protein G (SasG), which bind to structural proteins, including loricrin and cytokeratin, in the damaged epidermis. Protein A, another key factor, binds the Fc region of...
33
Bacterial Toxins01:12

Bacterial Toxins

Bacterial toxins are sophisticated virulence factors that enable pathogenic bacteria to interact with, invade, and damage host tissues. These toxins fall broadly into two types: protein exotoxins, which are secreted into the environment and target specific host receptors, and lipopolysaccharide endotoxins, which are structural components of the bacterial outer membrane released primarily during bacterial lysis or membrane shedding. Exotoxins generally act more selectively, binding to cell...
30
Atypical Pneumonia01:14

Atypical Pneumonia

Atypical pneumonia, often caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, is a form of pulmonary infection that differs from the classical presentation of bacterial pneumonia in both its cause and clinical symptoms. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a pleomorphic bacterium notable for its lack of a rigid cell wall. This structural characteristic imparts resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and significantly influences the bacterium’s behavior within the human host.Other pathogens responsible for the disease...
17
Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology01:29

Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology of pneumonia involves the following steps:
4.0K
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within...
25
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA01:25

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and...
60