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Updated: Sep 4, 2025
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Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: November 17, 2018
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Antibiotic treatment ignites a fire that lasts.
Iván C Acosta1, Francis Alonzo1
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago - Stritch School of Medicine, 2160 S. First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
Cell Host & Microbe
|July 14, 2022
Summary
Antibiotic-resistant infections cause tissue damage and inflammation. New research shows anti-folate antibiotics trigger a bacterial signal, leading to an excessive immune response that perpetuates chronic infection.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Chronic infections are characterized by tissue damage and persistent inflammation.
- Antibiotic resistance poses a significant challenge in treating these infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanism by which anti-folate antibiotics influence chronic infection.
- To identify bacterial factors that contribute to host immune responses in chronic infections.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a combination of microbiological and immunological assays.
- Investigated the role of bacterial second messengers in modulating host immunity.
Main Results:
- Anti-folate antibiotics were found to induce the synthesis of a specific bacterial second messenger.
- This bacterial second messenger triggers an exaggerated immune response in the host.
- The induced immune response contributes to the establishment and persistence of chronic infection.
Conclusions:
- A novel mechanism linking anti-folate antibiotic treatment to chronic infection persistence has been elucidated.
- Bacterial second messengers represent a potential target for therapeutic intervention in antibiotic-resistant chronic infections.
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