The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus belongs to the human skin and mucosal flora. Due to advanced age, bed-riddenness, or a viral infection it may happen that the body can no longer keep the bacterium in control. Therefore uncontrolled multiplication occurs. Staphylococcus aureus also belongs to the feared hospital germs, for which a variety of antibiotics no longer help (so-called MRSA strains). New treatment options are urgently needed.

Dr Sabine Ziesemer and Professor Jan-Peter Hildebrandt from the University of Greifswald together with private lecturer Dr Achim G. Beule from the HNO-Klinik of the University Hospital Münster concentrated their investigations on the exoprotein α haemolysin, a pore forming toxin, which creates a hole in the membrane of the host cell so that ions like iron, but also other molecules leave the cell which dies.

For their research, they used human respiratory epithelial cells that are often affected by a S. aureus infection. They observed, in which way α hemolysin affects the host's cell structure and function. They found out, that a lipid (sphingomyelin) has a special function in the formation of the pore. They chemically changed the lipid, so that the bacterium could no longer form a pore. The germ was no longer dangerous.

These findings are an important contribution on the way to the development of new therapies against bacterial infections, especially those associated with resistance.

The scientists* have published their research in the journal Toxins.
Ziesemer, S., Möller, N., Nitsch, A., Müller, C., Beule, A. G. & Hildebrandt, J. P. (2019). Sphingomyelin Depletion from Plasma Membranes of Human Airway Epithelial Cells Completely Abrogates the Deleterious Actions of S. aureus Alpha toxin. Toxins 11, 126. doi:10.3390/toxins11020126

Source:
https://www.bionity.com/de/news/1160261/forscher-machen-ein-gefaehrliches-bakterientoxin-unwirksam.html?pk_campaign=ca0264&WT.mc_id=ca0264

Interesting information about Staphylococcus aureus:
https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/EpidBull/Merkblaetter/Ratgeber_Staphylococcus_MRSA.html