Author: Chidinma Okparanta

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Posts by Chidinma Okparanta

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New Models Predict Where E. coli Strains Will Thrive

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Illustration of E. coli. Credit: Janet Iwasa, University of Utah.
Illustration of E. coli. Credit: Janet Iwasa, University of Utah (image available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license Exit icon). View larger image

Like plants and animals, different types of E. coli thrive in different environments. Now, scientists can even predict which environments—such as the bladder, stomach or blood—are most amenable to the growth of various strains, including pathogenic ones. A research team led by Bernhard Palsson Exit icon of the University of California, San Diego, accomplished this by using genome data to reconstruct the metabolic networks of 55 E. coli strains. The metabolic models, which identify differences in the ability to manufacture certain compounds and break down various nutrients, shed light on how certain E. coli strains become pathogenic and how to potentially control them. One approach could be depriving the deadly strains of the nutrients they need to survive in their niches. The researchers plan to use their new method to study other bacteria, such as those that cause staph infections.

This work also was funded by NIH’s National Cancer Institute.

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University of California, San Diego News Release

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Protein Triggers Inflammatory Responses in Hemorrhage and Sepsis

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Doctors helping a patient. Credit: U.S. Navy.
Inflammation is part of the body’s natural response to trauma, but when it becomes widespread, it can lead to sepsis. Credit: U.S. Navy.

Inflammation is part of the body’s natural response to trauma, playing a vital role in wound healing and prevention of infection. However, when inflammation becomes widespread, or systemic, it can lead to sepsis, a condition that can damage organs and cause death. Scientists led by Ping Wang of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have found a way to potentially target harmful systemic inflammation. They identified a protein–cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP)–that triggers inflammatory responses during hemorrhagic shock and sepsis. Wang then hypothesized that blocking CIRP activity might mitigate the body’s overall inflammatory response and improve patient survival. In a preclinical study using mice, an antibody against CIRP decreased mortality after hemorrhage and sepsis. The molecule could lead to the development of an anti-CIRP drug.

This work also was funded by the NIH Office of the Director and NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Learn more:

Fact Sheets on Physical Trauma and Sepsis
The Body’s Response to Traumatic Injury Video