Dangerous for IBD patients
Deadly bacteria are thirsty for human blood
April 18, 2024, 6:51 a.m
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Some of the most dangerous bacteria are hungry for human blood, a US research team finds. The finding could help develop drugs for patients with inflammatory bowel disease, who are at high risk of bloodstream infections.
A team led by scientists at Washington State University (WSU) has discovered a phenomenon they call “bacterial vampirism“. They found that salmonella, coli bacteria, Citrobacter are attracted to nutrients in human serum. These bacteria are among the most common causes of death in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which make up about one percent of the population. In these patients Intestinal bleeding often occurs, through which the pathogens can enter the bloodstream.
Cravings for serine
According to the study, the bacteria are apparently particularly attracted to serine. This is an amino acid that occurs in human blood, but is also a common ingredient in protein drinks. The research team found that Salmonella has a special protein receptor called Tsr. It allows them to recognize serum and swim to it. Using a technique called protein crystallography, the scientists were able to look at the atoms of the protein interacting with serine. They believe that serine is one of the chemicals from the blood that the bacteria sense and consume.
“Bacteria that infects the bloodstream can be fatal,” says Arden Baylink of WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Using a high-performance microscope system he developed, the researchers simulated intestinal bleeding by injecting microscopic amounts of human serum and observing how the bacteria moved to the source. The reaction is rapid – it takes less than a minute for the disease-causing bacteria to find the serum, they write.
Hope for new drugs
“By learning how these bacteria are able to recognize blood sources, we could develop new drugs in the future that block this ability,” says Baylink colleague Siena Glenn. “These drugs could improve the lives and health of people with IBD who are at high risk of bloodstream infections.”