Historically, drugs for infectious diseases has been designed to kill pathogens that cause infection. This can lead to many parasites and bacteria can eventually mutate, resulting in drug resistance.
In this study, researchers showed that using an experimental agent to block one type of enzyme in cultured cells in mice, preventing a particular parasite enters the white blood cells. This is a necessary step for the parasite causing the infection.
The method is applicable for pathogen must enter the host cell to survive and do damage. Some pathogens can thrive in the host's body outside of the cell wall. The researchers tested the drug against the parasite Leishmania, transmitted by the bite of an infected fly.
Leishmania basically hijack the host white blood cells to cause a skin infection called cutaneous leishmaniasis.
I do not claim we have a new drug for the treatment of pathogen infection. However, if this strategy can work, then the drug can be developed to target different pathways in the host may be important for the invasion of pathogens.
One of the tested drugs such as USA-605 240, which target a single type of enzyme that is activated when the white blood cells recognize the pathogen and the host's body began to respond immunity. PI3K gamma enzyme, to control cell movement and changes in cell membrane that allows the pathogen to penetrate the cell wall.
When the combined treatment, the healing effect is stronger than the mice that received only one type of treatment. The findings in this work indicate that this strategy could be used not only for treatment, but also for prevention.
If you have a drug that will reduce the number of phagocytes that come to the site of infection after the parasites enter the skin, will cause less severe infections. So that the body may be able to control himself.
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