Scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) found that the assembly of tuberculosis bacteria into thread-like structures causes the nuclei inside lung cells to compress and alters the functioning of the immune system. A discovery that could lead to the development of drugs to treat tuberculosis has been published in the journal Cell.
bacteria ability TuberculosisIt was first noticed about 80 years ago that the bacteria that cause tuberculosis formed cord-like cords. In a new study, scientists have uncovered the details of this process using “lungs on a chip.” This technology allowed direct visualization of the initial contact between bacteria and host cells at the air-liquid interface in the lungs. It turns out that tourniquets are formed already at an early stage of infection. Experiments in mice confirmed this observation.
Scientists also discovered how bundles of bacteria interact with the cell nucleus, the structure where DNA is stored. They discovered that mechanical interactions between bacteria and cells lead to changes in the functioning of the immune system.
“There is a growing understanding that mechanical forces influence cell behavior and responses, but this aspect has been overlooked because traditional cell culture models do not recapitulate the mechanical environment of the tissue,” the authors said.
The study also determined how bacterial threads maintain their structural integrity and develop resistance to antibiotic treatment. The authors believe that viewing the causative agent of tuberculosis collectively rather than as individual bacteria could make treatment more effective while reducing the need for antibiotics.
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