Research articles
Research articles on the current topic in basic and clinical microbiology, immunology, pathology, biochemistry, medicine. Current and past issues in Current Bioscience.
Extracellular fibrinogen-binding protein (Efb), a key immune evasion protein of Staphylococcus aureus and a potential therapeutic target.
Marco Palma
Due to the continued growth of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, it is necessary to explore alternative targets for future therapeutic applications. For this reason, is important to understand the staphylococcal immune evasion mechanisms with a special focus on extracellular fibrinogen-binding protein (Efb) and Efb related proteins. Therefore, it was conducted a literature review to compile relevant information on this protein. It was found that Efb has three binding sites with biological relevance that could be used as therapeutic targets with specificity for fibrinogen, platelets, and complements. First, the fibrinogen-binding motifs also found in coagulase block neutrophil αMβ2 adherence to fibrinogen and attract fibrinogen to the bacterial surface, forming capsule-like structures that block phagocytosis…
Gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus skin infection
/in Article, Genomic, MicrobiologyMarco Palma
To find new strategies, it is important to understand the mechanisms that Staphylococcus aureus uses to adapt to its host and how the host responds to the presence of staphylococcal cells. We have reviewed two studies of gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus during skin infections, one study using a rabbit skin infection model and ….
Phage display identification of immunodominant epitopes and autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases
/in Article, ImmunologyMarco Palma
The phage display is a powerful technique to identify pathogenic binding sites implicated in autoimmune diseases (ADs). With chimeras of binding peptides can be identified amino acid residues implicated in the binding and defined more precisely the pathogenic epitope such as in the α3(IV)NC1 domain of Goodpasture disease. Epitope sharing….
Phage display strategy against outbreaks of unknown pathogens: learning from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
/in Article, Immunology, MicrobiologyMarco Palma
The experience with SARS-CoV-2 that spread rapidly throughout the world makes us realize we need protocols to act quickly against emerging pathogens. The immune system of recovering patients provided protection against any pathogen by producing antibodies against immunogenic epitopes…
Bacterial molecular mimicry in autoimmune diseases
/in ArticleMarco Palma
Molecular mimicry is one of the main mechanisms by which bacteria induce autoimmunity. It occurs when bacterial components have sequential or structural similarity with self-peptides inducing the activation of autoreactive T or B cells. Several bacteria can induce an autoimmune response by molecular mimicry mechanism..
Current research on defensins against Staphylococcus aureus
/in ArticleMarco Palma
Defensins are small cysteine-rich cationic peptides, found in a broad range of species in animal and plant kingdoms. It has been identified three sub-classes of defensins (e.g. α, β, and θ) which have conserved six cysteine signature. They play an important role as host defense peptides with activity against bacteria….