Mammalian DNases and their role in the tug of war between Staphylococcus aureus and the host

Immunology Interest Group Victor J. Torres is a microbiologist investigating how multidrug-resistant bacteria cause disease and identifying new therapies to fight and prevent infection. Torres uses a diverse range of techniques spanning genetics, molecular biology, immunology, and bioinformatics to study the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). S. aureus causes a wide range of diseases, from mild skin infections to life-threatening blood infections. Highly virulent and, in some instances, resistant to antibiotics (known as methicillin-resistant S. aureus, or MRSA), S. aureus is responsible for millions of illnesses and tens of thousands of deaths each year. Torres ’ s finding that S. aureus toxins overwhelm the immune system by targeting specific cells — rather than indiscriminately attacking the host — upends previous models of host-cell interactions and has important implications for vaccine development. Vaccine candidates targeting the bacteria directly have been ineffective. Torres ’ s work suggests blocking leukocidins that are destroying immune system cells could be key to vaccine success. He and colleagues recently created a class of centyrins (engineered proteins) that neutralize leukocidins. In studies with animal models, the centyrins allowed the animals ’ immune systems to clear the infection. Torres has greatly advanced our understanding of S. aureus pathogenesis, and his development of several potential treatment strategies will be critical in ou...
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