Selective sensitivity of the gut microbiome to iron chelators in polybacterial abdominal sepsis

Iron chelation has been proposed as a potential therapy for polybacterial abdominal sepsis. Treatment with iron chelation is known to be able to attenuate bacterial growth. It is hypothesized that the different types of bacteria will exhibit variations in their sensitivity to iron chelation based on differences in their iron metabolism. Bacteria with weaker iron access systems might have their growth reduced initially, but stronger species may also be suppressed. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria are known to possess different iron acquisition systems, which may affect their response to iron chelation. Bacteria which can produce siderophores are at a particular advantage for iron acquisition. Novel iron chelators, which do not act as xenosiderophores, may be effective in depriving these bacteria of iron. This has implications for the treatment of polybacterial sepsis, which might be enhanced if the sensitivity to iron chelation of the primary causative agents is known.