PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Typhoid fever -- A race against time

2014-01-16
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Olivia Poisson
olivia.poisson@unibas.ch
University of Basel
Typhoid fever -- A race against time

The life-threatening disease typhoid fever results from the ongoing battle between the bacterial pathogen Salmonella and the immune cells of the body. Prof. Dirk Bumann's research group at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel has now uncovered how the typhoid pathogen repeatedly manages to evade the host's immune system. Their findings are published in the scientific journal "Cell Host & Microbe".

Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection caused by the pathogen Salmonella. The infected host's immune system detects Salmonella and activates immune cells such as neutrophils and monocytes. These cells infiltrate the infected tissue and enclose the infection to form an abscess. Although most Salmonella bacteria are readily killed by this immune reaction, Dirk Bumann's group has demonstrated that some escape from the abscess and thus ensure their survival.

Salmonella uses immune cells

Once outside the abscess, the Salmonella bacteria are attacked by other immune cells, the so-called macrophages that produce a less effective immune response. "Salmonella have developed a range of defense strategies to resist macrophage attacks. Many Salmonella are thus able to survive and even to replicate in macrophages," explains Neil Burton, one of the two first authors. With time, abscesses form around the new infection foci but again some Salmonella bacteria can manage to escape. "This drives the whole infection process further and makes typhoid fever particularly insidious," says Nura Schürmann, also a first author of the publication.

A battle on many fronts

The whole disease process is a race between Salmonella and the immune system of the infected organism, in which the battle is fought on many fronts. In this process many Salmonella bacteria are killed and others survive to spread the infection. It is the net balance of the outcomes of these individual Salmonella and immune cell encounters which in the end determines the course of the illness.

Typhoid fever is a life-threatening infection in countries with poor hygiene. Each year, more than 20 million people are infected with this disease. The illness is transmitted by ingesting food or water contaminated with this bacterium. Once inside the intestine, Salmonella crosses the gut mucosa and spreads to other organs such as the spleen and liver. Growing antibiotic resistance makes this illness increasingly difficult to cure.

Understanding what factors enable Salmonella to win many encounters with host cells might provide new strategies in the treatment of typhoid fever. Similar heterogeneous encounters likely determine the fights between the host and many other pathogens. Findings of this study may thus be relevant for a wide range of infectious diseases.



INFORMATION:

Original Citation

Neil A. Burton, Nura Schürmann, Olivier Casse, Anne K. Steeb, Beatrice Claudi, Janine Zankl, Alexander Schmidt, Dirk Bumann Disparate Impact of Oxidative Host Defenses Determines the Fate of Salmonella during Systemic Infection in Mice Cell Host & Microbe, Volume 15, Issue 1, 72-83, 15 January 2014 | doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2013.12.006



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Stem cells overcome damage in other cells by exporting mitochondria

2014-01-16
Stem cells overcome damage in other cells by exporting mitochondria

EU could cut emissions by 40 percent at moderate cost

2014-01-16
EU could cut emissions by 40 percent at moderate cost This is a key finding from an international multi-model analysis by the Stanford Energy Modeling Forum (EMF28) and comes at a crucial time, as the European Commission is set ...

Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' corroborates theory of consciousness

2014-01-16
Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' corroborates theory of consciousness Amsterdam, January 16, 2014 – A review and update of a controversial 20-year-old theory of consciousness published in Physics of Life Reviews claims that consciousness derives from ...

Loss of biodiversity limits toxin degradation

2014-01-16
Loss of biodiversity limits toxin degradation You might not think of microbes when you consider biodiversity, but it turns out that even a moderate loss of less than 5% of soil microbes may compromise some key ecosystem functions and could lead to lower degradation of toxins in ...

Silver nanowire sensors hold promise for prosthetics, robotics

2014-01-16
Silver nanowire sensors hold promise for prosthetics, robotics North Carolina State University researchers have used silver nanowires to develop wearable, multifunctional sensors that could be used in biomedical, military or athletic applications, including ...

Researchers 'detune' a molecule

2014-01-16
Researchers 'detune' a molecule Rice University experiment shows how to soften atomic bonds in a buckyball Rice University scientists have found they can control the bonds between atoms in a molecule. The molecule in question is carbon-60, also known as the buckminsterfullerene ...

Waterfowl poisoning halved by lead shot prohibition

2014-01-16
Waterfowl poisoning halved by lead shot prohibition Lead shot was forbidden in 2001 in Spanish wetlands on the Ramsar List of these areas of international importance. Ten years later, this prohibition -and the consequent use of steel shot ...

Novel technology reveals aerodynamics of birds flying in a V-formation

2014-01-16
Novel technology reveals aerodynamics of birds flying in a V-formation Researchers using custom-built GPS and accelerometer loggers, developed with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, (EPSRC), ...

The way to a chimpanzee's heart is through its stomach

2014-01-16
The way to a chimpanzee's heart is through its stomach Chimpanzees who share their food with others have higher levels of the hormone oxytocin in their urine This news release is available in German. The ability to form long-term cooperative relationships ...

Brain on autopilot

2014-01-16
Brain on autopilot How the architecture of the brain shapes its functioning This news release is available in German. The structure of the human brain is complex, reminiscent of a circuit diagram with countless connections. But what role does this ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

So what do the world’s coastlines look like in 2025?

High-purity green hydrogen with very low tar from biomass, with chemical looping gasification

Not all "forever chemicals" are equal: Experts call for nuanced PFAS policy to protect human and public health and the environment

‘Hope isn’t enough – we need action when it comes to climate change’, an earth scientist’s guide for the future

Obesity rates in Canada increased after start of COVID-19 pandemic

Supporting autistic patients in health care

New study finds sharp increase in nicotine pouch ingestions among young children

LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA detect most massive black hole merger to date

Lonely adults may have a higher risk of diabetes

Intermittent energy restriction may improve outcomes in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes

Grandfather’s environmental chemical exposures may influence when girls get first period

Early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals may fuel food preferences

Age at woman’s first period can offer clues about long-term health risks

AI-powered application enables clinicians to diagnose endocrine cancers faster and more accurately

Obesity-associated cancers tripled nationwide over past two decades

Consuming certain sweeteners may increase risk of early puberty

Experts suggest screening women with diabetes for intent to conceive at every doctor visit

Osteoporosis treatment benefits people older than 80

Consuming more protein may protect patients taking anti-obesity drug from muscle loss

Thyroid treatment may improve gut health in people with hypothyroidism

Combination of obesity medication tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy fuels weight loss

High blood sugar may have a negative impact on men’s sexual health

Emotional health of parents tied to well-being of children with growth hormone deficiency

Oxytocin may reduce mood changes in women with disrupted sleep

Mouse study finds tirzepatide slowed obesity-associated breast cancer growth

CMD-OPT model enables the discovery of a potent and selective RIPK2 inhibitor as preclinical candidate for the treatment of acute liver injury

Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction retards colorectal tumorigenesis by regulating the TMEM131–TNF signaling pathway-mediated differentiation of immunosuppressive dendritic ce

Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B Volume 15, Issue 7 Publishes

New research expands laser technology

[Press-News.org] Typhoid fever -- A race against time