How bacteria hack the matrix and dodge the bullets of immunity

What is it about?

The respiratory tract bacteria Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are commonly associated with pulmonary diseases. To colonize and infect the human host, bacteria use adhesins with high affinity for components of the extracellular matrix as exemplified by collagen, laminin, fibronectin and vitronectin. Bacterial attachment is a highly conserved mechanism, and most adhesins target the same regions on the proteins of the extracellular matrix. A large body of research is currently ongoing in order to unveil bacterial receptors and their targets for potential new therapies.

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