Making bacteria an unwelcome guest
Bacterial infection takes hold in the body when a pathogenic microorganism delivers toxins to healthy cells. One way bacteria accomplish this is by releasing vesicles, which act as tiny envelopes transporting toxins and other virulence factors to host cells. These toxins allow the bacteria to “make themselves at home” in cells.
In the search for alternatives to antibiotics, researchers are exploring untraditional infection treatments that focus on these virulence factors as prime targets.
Angela Brown, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Lehigh, describes the alternative route this way: “Instead of killing bacteria, we make them really uncomfortable, giving the immune system time to mount a strong response.”
Working in her independent lab at Lehigh, Brown is pioneering a unique approach that, unlike previous methods targeting virulence factors, has the potential to apply to a broad range of pathogens. She and her team are focused on a novel target: outer membrane vesicles—which are regularly shed by Gram negative bacteria, among the most challenging type of bacteria to treat.
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