A multidisciplinary team has discovered a key mechanism used by intestinal cells to defend themselves against antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as C. difficile, according to a news release.
The multidisciplinary team consisted of researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, UCLA, Case Western Reserve University, Tufts University and the Commonwealth Medical College.
The researchers used test-tube, cell culture, patient specimens and animal model experiments, along with computer simulations of molecular interactions, to thoroughly explore the response that causes a toxin to "disarm" or "prematurely detonate."
"Think of these toxins as missiles that the bacteria is producing to go off and detonate inside the cell," a researcher said. "One way to defend against missiles is to send out signals that trick them into either disarming their sensory mechanisms or get them to prematurely detonate."
Cell culture and mouse experiments demonstrated that a combination of GSNO (the nitrosylating agent and the "disarming" part) and InsP6 (the "premature detonation" part) worked to prevent damage from C. difficile. In fact, the combination therapy worked so well that the team is now preparing to test it in a clinical trial sponsored by UTMB's Institute for Translational Sciences.
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The multidisciplinary team consisted of researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, UCLA, Case Western Reserve University, Tufts University and the Commonwealth Medical College.
The researchers used test-tube, cell culture, patient specimens and animal model experiments, along with computer simulations of molecular interactions, to thoroughly explore the response that causes a toxin to "disarm" or "prematurely detonate."
"Think of these toxins as missiles that the bacteria is producing to go off and detonate inside the cell," a researcher said. "One way to defend against missiles is to send out signals that trick them into either disarming their sensory mechanisms or get them to prematurely detonate."
Cell culture and mouse experiments demonstrated that a combination of GSNO (the nitrosylating agent and the "disarming" part) and InsP6 (the "premature detonation" part) worked to prevent damage from C. difficile. In fact, the combination therapy worked so well that the team is now preparing to test it in a clinical trial sponsored by UTMB's Institute for Translational Sciences.
Related Articles on C. Difficile:
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C. Diff Increases Risk of Death 6-Fold in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients