Bacteria discovery could lead to antibiotics alternatives

The study could lead to new anti-infective drugs

Scientists have discovered an Achilles heel within our cells that bacteria are able to exploit to cause and spread infection.

The researchers say their findings could lead to the development of new anti-infective drugs as alternatives to antibiotics whose overuse has led to resistance.

University of Manchester researchers studied Listeria – a potentially deadly group of bacteria that can cause listeriosis in humans when digested – and found they are able to spread infection by hitching a ride on a naturally occurring protein called calpain.

“Bacteria produce a number of chemicals that allow them to invade a host and to establish an infection,” said lead researcher David Brough, who is based in Manchester’s Faculty of Life Sciences.

“The chemicals produced depend upon many factors, such as the species of bacteria, the type of host, and also whether the infection grows inside or outside a cell.