Newly described proteins in drug-resistant strains of the
Staphylococcus aureus bacterium attract and then destroy
protective human white blood cells—a key process ensuring that
S. aureus survives and causes severe disease, according to
scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. S.
aureus disease is a global public health concern because some
strains, including community-associated methicillin resistant S.
aureus (CA-MRSA), have developed resistance to existing
antibiotics. The NIAID scientists hope to use this finding to
advance development of new therapeutic treatments. In a study
published online in Nature Medicine, Michael Otto, Ph.D., and
his colleagues at NIAID’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML)
describe how novel members of the phenol-soluble modulin (PSM)
protein family help determine disease severity and eliminate
immune defense mechanisms against CA-MRSA. “This elegant work
helps reveal the complex strategy that S. aur