 |
|
'Invisible' bacteria dupe the human immune system
February 20, 2008Scientists at the University of York have characterised an important new step in the mechanism used by bacteria to evade our immune system.
It is an 'invisibility cloak' which means that bacteria like Haemophilus influenzae, a common cause of ear infections in children, can move about the body without the risk of being attacked by the immune system.
A multidisciplinary research team from the Departments of Biology and Chemistry at York have been studying how bacteria capture the molecule used to make the 'cloak', called sialic acid.
The researchers have now discovered an enzymatic activity that helps in the more efficient capture of sialic acids released from our cell surfaces. As well as using the sialic acid to make the 'invisibility cloak' other bacteria use similar methods to capture sialic acid as a simple food source, so are literally eating us from the inside!
The research is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Dr Gavin Thomas, of the Department of Biology, who led the research said: "This novel enzyme, as well as other steps required for the formation of the 'invisibility cloak' that we have discovered in York, now offers the chance to develop novel antimicrobials against these bacteria."
The work, which was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), was undertaken by Dr. Emmanuele Severi (Biology - Thomas lab) in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Potts (Biology and Chemistry), Dr Andrew Leech (Biology) and Professor Keith Wilson and Dr Axel Müller (Chemistry and York Structural Biology Laboratory).
The team used the Centre for Magnetic Resonance based in the Department of Chemistry, and the Technology Facility in the Department of Biology.
University of York
The researchers have now discovered an enzymatic activity that helps in the more efficient capture of sialic acids released from our cell surfaces. As well as using the sialic acid to make the 'invisibility cloak' other bacteria use similar methods to capture sialic acid as a simple food source, so are literally eating us from the inside!
The research is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Dr Gavin Thomas, of the Department of Biology, who led the research said: "This novel enzyme, as well as other steps required for the formation of the 'invisibility cloak' that we have discovered in York, now offers the chance to develop novel antimicrobials against these bacteria."
The work, which was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), was undertaken by Dr. Emmanuele Severi (Biology - Thomas lab) in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Potts (Biology and Chemistry), Dr Andrew Leech (Biology) and Professor Keith Wilson and Dr Axel Müller (Chemistry and York Structural Biology Laboratory).
The team used the Centre for Magnetic Resonance based in the Department of Chemistry, and the Technology Facility in the Department of Biology.
University of York
Immune System News and Current Immune System Events RSSArteries from distinct regions of the body have unique immune functions
Human arteries play distinct roles in the immune system depending on their anatomical location, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have discovered.
New nano device detects immune system cell signaling
Scientists have detected previously unnoticed chemical signals that individual cells in the immune system use to communicate with each other over short distances.
Loss of sleep, even for a single night, increases inflammation in the body
Loss of sleep, even for a few short hours during the night, can prompt one's immune system to turn against healthy tissue and organs.
Virus weaves itself into the DNA transferred from parents to babies
Parents expect to pass on their eye or hair color, their knobby knees or their big feet to their children through their genes. But they don't expect to pass on viruses through those same genes.
Battling Diabetes with Beta Cells
Affecting eight percent of America's population, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, strokes and heart disease. Thanks to Tel Aviv University researchers, a new cure -- based on advances in cell therapy -- may be within reach.
Innate immune system targets asthma-linked fungus for destruction
A new study shows that the innate immune system of humans is capable of killing a fungus linked to airway inflammation, chronic rhinosinusitis and bronchial asthma.
VCU Massey Cancer Center Spearheads Novel Clinical Study for Lymphoma Patients
The Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center recently opened a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored, phase II clinical study for certain sub-types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Previous claims of siRNA therapeutic effects called into question by report in human gene therapy
The many recent reports documenting the therapeutic efficacy of short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in animal models of human disease may actually be describing non-specific therapeutic effects related to the ability of siRNA to activate an immune response, according to a paper in the September 2008 issue (Volume 19, Number 9) of Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Most vaccine-allergic children can still be safely vaccinated, Hopkins experts say
With close monitoring and a few standard precautions, nearly all children with known or suspected vaccine allergies can be safely immunized, according to a team of vaccine safety experts led by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
New role for Natural Killers!
Scientists at the University of York have discovered a new role for a population of white blood cells, which may lead to improved treatments for chronic infections and cancer.
More Immune System News Articles
 | The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child (Sears Parenting Library) by Robert Sears |
 | IMMUNOBIOLOGY 7 PB (Janeway's Immunobiology) (Immunobiology: The Immune System (Janeway)) by Kenneth M. Murphy, Paul Travers, Mark Walport Janeway's Immunobiology, Seventh Edition is an introductory text for use in immunology courses for undergraduates, graduate students and medical students. It guides the reader through the immune system in all its aspects - from the first engagement of innate immunity to the generation of the adaptive immune response and its clinical consequences. The Seventh Edition has been comprehensively... |
 | Living Well with Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You... That You Need to Know (Revised Edition) by Mary J. Shomon As many as one in eight women have a thyroid condition. In Living Well with Hypothyroidism, Mary Shomon outlines the most common of these--too little thyroid hormones in the body. Weight gain, depression, fatigue, and what patients call "brain fog, Brillo hair, and prune skin" result. Because the symptoms of hypothyroidism mimic so many other conditions--chronic fatigue, PMS, clinical... |
 | The Immune System by Peter Parham The Immune System, Second Edition has been designed for use in immunology courses for undergraduate, medical, dental, and pharmacy students. This class-tested and successful textbook synthesizes the established facts of immunology into a comprehensible, coherent, and up-to-date account of how the immune system works, rather than presenting immunology as a chronology of experiments and... |
 | Basic Immunology: Functions and Disorders of the Immune System With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access by Abul K. Abbas, Andrew H. Lichtman Heres a readable and concise introduction to the workings of the human immune system, with emphasis on clinical relevance. The format makes learning easy with short, easy-to-read chapters, color tables, key point summaries, and review questions in every chapter.Relates basic science to clinical disorders through clinical cases for better application in a real-world setting.Includes a full... |
 | The Energy Medicine Kit by Donna Eden Donna Eden invites you to learn the unspoken language of your body to boost your energy levels, address many specific health problems, and foster your overall health. You begin by learning a powerful "Daily Energy Practice" that combines simple movements, pressure point massage, and breathwork to create a reservoir of "vital life force" that you can draw upon throughout the day. The Energy... |
 | Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic by Peter H.r. Green, Rory Jones Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects nearly one in every hundred people. Unfortunately, 97 percent remain undiagnosed and untreated. They continue to suffer from gastrointestinal complaints, fatigue, headaches, joint pain, anemia, and itchy skin conditions -- to name just a few of the symptoms. These people consult numerous doctors, who prescribe drugs and diets that may... |
 | Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism by Jenny McCarthy If someone you love is diagnosed with autism, LOUDER THAN WORDS is the first book you should read. One morning, Jenny McCarthy was having a cup of coffee when she sensed something was wrong. She ran into her two-year-old son Evan’s room and found him seizing. In that moment, Jenny went from being the mother of an average toddler to being in the midst of a medical odyssey. Doctor after doctor... |
 | How the Immune System Works (Blackwell's How It Works) by Lauren M. Sompayrac Understanding the immune system is crucial for both medical and bioscience students, with new research revealing yet more secrets year on year. Many books offer in-depth introductions to the subject, but How the Immune System Works remains uniquely popular for its personable and practical overview of the nuts and bolts of the immune system.This third edition provides a perfect introduction to the... |
 | The Autoimmune Epidemic: Bodies Gone Haywire in a World Out of Balance--and the Cutting-Edge Science that Promises Hope by Donna Jackson Nakazawa From the foreword by Dr. Douglas Kerr, Director, Johns Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center "The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an astounding book....It is the kind of book that will rivet you and scare you. It will make you angry. It will amaze you with the courage of some of the people described in the book...The Autoimmune Epidemic is every bit as compelling as Upton Sinclair's... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |