Newly Described Cellular Defense Activity Could Guide Solutions to UTIs

Contact: Sarah AveryPhone: 919-660-1306Email: sarah.avery@duke.eduhttps://www.dukehealth.org EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE until 12 p.m. noon (ET) on Tuesday, July 19th, 2016                                                                 DURHAM, N.C. – The process cells use to secrete chemicals also appears to be the way to clear urinary tract infections, or UTIs, according to a study by researchers from Duke Health and Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School. The process, which was previously understood to be a way for cells to release soluble materials such as hormones, has been redefined as playing an equally crucial role in protecting the body against infections.  The study, using mice and cultured human bladder cells and reported July 19th in the journal Immunity, not only describes how the cells lining the bladder fight UTI-causing bacteria through the proteins used for cellular secretion, but also suggests new targets for developing remedies for UTIs. “There is growing interest in identifying new ways to fight UTIs as bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics,” said senior author Soman Abraham, Ph.D. He is a professor in the Departments of Pathology, Immunology, and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Duke University School of Medicine, and is a professor in the Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School. Urinary tract infections are the second-most prevalent type of bacterial in...
Source: DukeHealth.org: Duke Health Features - Category: Pediatrics Tags: Duke Medicine Source Type: news