Australian researchers have discovered a specific group of bacteria-killing proteins innate to our immune systems, which may lead to the development of more effective drugs capable of combatting infectious diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis.
The Australian National University (ANU) team, whose findings are published in Nature Communications, demonstrated the ability of these immune proteins to directly bind and destroy certain types of bacteria.
As well as paving the way for new treatments for bacterial infection, the killer proteins also show potential to be used together with existing antibiotics to reduce antibiotic resistance, thus providing a broader range of treatment options….