Staphylococcus aureus bacteria can be found on the skin and respiratory tract of humans and frequently cause skin infections. These bacteria also include the antibiotic resistant strain MRSA. S. aureus have developed the weapon of turning the immune defenses against the host, for example to destroy white blood cells. The first line of defense in the human immune response are a type of white blood cell called neutrophils, that ensnares invading cells in neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). These are a web like structure of DNA and proteins that capture the bacteria, which are then destroyed by macrophages. S. aureus bacteria have the ability to defend themselves against the macrophages. researchers grew S. aureus, and found that when white blood cells and marcophages were placed in a culture, they were healthy, until the addition of NETs, that had triggered a response from s. aureus to produce the toxin that causes the macrophage death. They found that S. aureus was converting NETs into 2'-deoxyadenosine (dAdo), which is toxic to macrophages. The bacteria are taking the human immune response, NETs, and turning them into weapons.
This research can eventually develop a way around this bacteria's clever defense mechanism. S. aureus is responsible for many major serious infections, and developing a way to help treat these infections, and keep them from spreading to the blood stream. This could save millions of lives and limbs.
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