elife: How lung bacteria fight pneumonia

December 9, 2020 // -- A recent study revealed how lung bacteria prevent infections that invade pathogens.
results were published recently in the journal elife.
study in mice showed that Lactobacillus in the lungs provided a barrier against Streptococcus pneumoniae after infection and treatment.
pneumococcal bacteria can cause severe pneumonia, especially in elderly patients.
given the increased resistance to antibiotics, these findings suggest that probiotics may provide alternative treatments for bacterial lung infections.
(Photo: www.pixabay.com) In healthy organisms, "symbicative" bacteria that live in hosts without compromising hosts provide a competitive barrier to invading bacterial pathogens.
, co-lead author and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, explains: "It is well known that symbic bacteria in the gut have the ability to fight pathogens.
but how lung bacteria such as Lactobacillus play this role is unclear.
to solve this problem, Yildiz and colleagues studied the role of the lung microbiome in pneumococcal implantation in mice.
team has previously reported that there are large numbers of Lactobacillus in the lung bacillus of healthy mice, known as antimicrobials and immune system regulators.
current study, they identified the symbic bacteria as L. murinus, and further genetic sequencing and microscopy showed that the bacteria were closely related to lung tissue in mice.
team then exposed the culture of the rat Liste bacteria to Streptococcus pneumoniae.
found that Lactobacillus inhibits the growth of pathogens by releasing lactic acid.
, co-first author of the study, said: "This antibacterial activity is not limited to Streptococcus pneumoniae.
also affected Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogen that can cause blood, bone and joint infections and pneumonia.
, they treated mice with Lactobacillus after contracting influenza A virus and found that the bacteria provided a barrier to pneumococcal implantation in animals.
" suggests that symblobacter in the lungs can resist the planting of pathogens in the lungs.
, however, further research is needed before it can be proven to be a potential treatment.
if one day it turns out to be effective, the method can improve clinical outcomes in patients prone to respiratory infections.
" () Source: Scientists shed new light on how lung bacteria defend against pneumonia Original source: Soner Yildiz et al, Resy tissue-associated commensal bacteria offer therapeutic against potentialst pneumococcal colonization, eLife (2020). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.53581。