CANBERRA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A protein found inside the immune system could be key to defeating flesh-eating bacteria, Australian scientists have found.
In a new study, a team from Australian National University (ANU) found that the protein NLRP3 can be weaponized against Clostridium perfringens -- a bacteria that is a common cause of food poisoning but that can also be responsible for deadly infections including gangrene.
In severe cases, the bacteria produces two toxins -- one that punches a hole in the surface of a cell and the other that damages its internal structures.
The research described NLRP3's ability to detect the toxins, comparing it to a fire detector.
However, they found that the protein can become overactive and trigger a disproportionate response from the body, leading to safety mechanisms shutting down and life-threatening conditions such as sepsis.
The scientists, led by Anukriti Mathur and Callum Kay from the ANU John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR), used drugs to dampen the response triggered by NLRP3, allowing them to decipher molecular mechanisms responsible for the alarm.
They say by better understanding the mechanisms new therapies could be developed to defeat the bacteria.
"The death rate of muscle necrosis, which is caused by Clostridium perfringens, remains alarmingly high, exceeding 50 percent," Mathur said in a media release on Thursday.
"By understanding the role NLRP3 plays in detecting these deadly toxins and the defensive mechanisms it activates to protect the body, we can start to develop new techniques that target the protein and 'dampen' its overactive response."
"This would not only help prevent the body from triggering extreme and potentially deadly reactions to infection, but it could also help us find new ways to outsmart the bacteria and potentially develop new treatments," said the scientist. ■