A new approach against Salmonella and other pathogens
Researchers from MIT and the University of California at Irvine have developed a new strategy to immunize against microbes that invade the gastrointestinal tract, including Salmonella, which causes more foodborne illness in the United States than any other bacteria. The researchers targeted a molecule that Salmonella and other bacteria secrete to scavenge iron, which is essential to many cellular functions. Immunization against this molecule led to the production of antibodies that reduced Salmonella growth, and to much lower levels of the bacteria. This approach could offer an alternative to antibiotics, which can cause side effects because they also kill beneficial bacteria. Using too many antibiotics can also lead to drug resistance. “We have a huge problem in terms of infectious disease and antibiotic resistance,” says Elizabeth Nolan, an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Chemistry. “One aspect we like about our strategy is that it’s narrow-spectrum, in contrast to many small-molecule antibiotics that...