Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Michigan State University
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Lactobacilli Inhibit Gonococcal Infection.
N. gonorrhoeae infects an estimated 62 million worldwide, annually. Many of those are asymptomatic; untreated infections ascend the reproductive tract in up to 45% of infected women, leading to a variety of ills. Rachel R. Spurbeck and Cindy Grove Arvidson show that Lactobacillus species common to the human vaginal tract can inhibit infection, as well as displace gonococci that have already adhered to host cells. “While there is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that lactobacilli, as probiotics, can prevent infectious disease, this work provides direct evidence that they can inhibit the most critical steps of a bacterial infection–attachment to, and invasion of host cells,” says Arvidson. Thus, “lactobacilli have potential as an alternative to antibiotics for treatment of diagnosed or suspected gonococcal infections.” The team plans to determine the molecular mechanisms that inhibit gonococcal interaction with host cells.
(R. R. Spurbeck and C. G. Arvidson. 2008. Inhibition of Neisseria gonorrhoeae epithelial cell interactions by vaginal Lactobacillus species. Infect. Immun. 76:3124–3130.)
