A groundbreaking discovery has revealed that certain deadly bacteria have a unique appetite for human blood, a phenomenon now known as “bacterial vampirism.”
Recently published in the prestigious journal eLife, this research sheds light on the mechanisms behind bloodstream infections and offers potential avenues for treatment.
According to Arden Baylink, a professor at WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, bacterial infections in the bloodstream can be fatal. “We have discovered that some of the most common bacteria responsible for bloodstream infections are able to detect a specific chemical in human blood and actively move towards it,” Baylink explained.
Through their research, Baylink and lead author Siena Glenn, a Ph.D. student at WSU, identified three types of bacteria – Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, and Citrobacter koseri – that are attracted to human serum. These bacteria are particularly dangerous for individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), affecting approximately 1% of the population. Patients with IBD often experience intestinal bleeding, providing an entry point for these bacteria to enter the bloodstream.
Using an innovative microscope system developed by Baylink known as the Chemosensory Injection Rig Assay, the researchers mimicked intestinal bleeding by introducing tiny amounts of human serum and observed how the bacteria swiftly navigated towards the source. The response was remarkably quick, with the disease-causing bacteria locating the serum in less than a minute.
2024-04-16 09:51:02
Article from phys.org