Scientists Discover Key Toxin In Listeria
Researchers from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the University of Toronto, and Harvard Medical School have discovered new information about listeriosis in both its acute and chronic form. Dr. John Brummel and colleagues were recently featured in Nature magazine with evidence for the importance of a toxin in the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, according to the CNW Group.
A toxin produced by Listeria monocytogenes, lysteriolysin O, causes acute infections of the bacteria. The scientist discovered that the toxin also plays a significant role in chronic infections of the bacteria, and that it is important in how the bacteria cause disease.
According to Brummel, “We found that the same toxin, which the bacteria are using to grow rapidly inside one part of the cell and cause a serious a life threatening infection, apparently also allows the bacteria to grow slowly inside another part of the cell and cause a chronic infection.” Brummel’s team will also conduct further research and hopefully proceed with human tests in the future.
Trackbacks (0)
Links to blogs that reference this article
Trackback URL
Comments (0)
Read through and enter the discussion with the form at the end
Post A Comment / Question
Use this form to add a comment to this entry.