Key enzyme found in disease-causing bacteria responsible for heart valve disease
A disease-causing bacterium found in the mouth needs manganese, a trace mineral, in order to cause a serious heart infection, according to a preclinical study. Researchers have been studying the bacterium Streptococcus sanguinis to understand its role in infective endocarditis, a heart valve disease. The infection is hard to treat and can be deadly, killing more than 20 percent of the people who contract it. The findings, which may solve a longstanding mystery of why some bacteria need manganese to cause disease, provide possible new targets for antibiotics.
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - Category: Science Source Type: news
More News: Cardiology | Contracts | Endocarditis | Heart | Heart Valve Disease | Heart Valves | Infective Endocarditis | Science | Study