These images show how human cancer cells (labeled with a blue CellTracker dye) expressing the bacterial effector protein IpaH4 (right column) are more susceptible to viral infection (green indicates viral infection) than cells not expressing the bacterial effector (left column). Credit: UT Southwestern Medical Center
A unique collaboration between two UT Southwestern Medical Center labs—one that studies bacteria and another that studies viruses—has identified two immune proteins that appear key to fighting infections. The findings, published in PLOS Pathogens, could lead to new strategies for treating microbial infections and even cancer, the authors said.
“By studying how bacterial proteins can promote viral replication, we discovered new factors that block virus replication in organisms ranging from moths to humans,” said Don Gammon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Microbiology at UT Southwestern.
Dr. Gammon co-led the study with Neal Alto, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UTSW, and first author Aaron Embry, B.A.Sc., a graduate student researcher mentored in the Gammon Lab and the Alto Lab.
Dr. Gammon’s lab uses molecules known as immune evasion proteins produced by viruses. Studying these proteins, which disable portions of the immune system to allow viruses to replicate in cells, can shed light on how the immune system targets viral infections.
Like viruses, some bacteria also replicate inside the cells of other organisms with the help of proteins known as effectors, many of which thwart immune responses, Dr. Alto explained. Identifying bacterial effector proteins is one focus of his lab.
2024-05-17 09:00:03
Source from phys.org
