Cholera-causing Bacteria Prey on Human Immune Cells by Forming Biofilms

A new study from the University of Basel, Switzerland, has shown that Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria responsible for cholera, forms a unique type of biofilm on immune cells. The findings published in Cell provide new understandings on the way bacteria employ biofilms.  

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New Discovery in Biofilms Survival Strategies 

The formation of biofilms has previously been recognized as a bacterial defense mechanism. Biofilms are clusters of bacteria that aggregate in a self-produced matrix. One of the major concerns with biofilms is that they may contain human infectious agents, like Vibrio cholerae. The biofilm can confer protection against hostile conditions and the immune system’s response. 

The researchers focused on exploring the interactions between Vibrio cholerae and immune cells and the function of biofilms in the interaction. They discovered that not only does biofilm formation in V. cholerae protect the bacteria, but it also acts aggressively towards immune cells. The team of researchers focused on biofilm formation on macrophages and found that the mechanisms utilized in the formation were different than those of other surfaces. They observed that the biofilms encased the immune cells, after which they went on to locally establish a high concentration of a toxin, hemolysin, that kills the cells.

Insights in Biofilms Enable More Effective Defense Against Pathogens

Understanding biofilms is important because they can be both helpful and detrimental to humans since they may contain both harmful and helpful bacteria. Although this aggressive attack was discovered in V. cholerae biofilms, further investigation into the formation of other pathogens’ biofilms is needed to explore if they also attack immune cells in the same way. It is imperative to gain insight into pathogens’ attack strategies to develop innovative approaches to fighting them.

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