Bacteria Exploit Blood Flow to Travel in Body (IMAGE)

Cell Press

Bacteria Exploit Blood Flow to Travel in Body

Caption

Bacteria overcome forces generated by blood flow in order to adhere to vascular surfaces during spread of blood-borne infections. The biomechanics of this process are not understood. As depicted in this visual abstract, Ebady et al. show that bacteria exploit force generated by blood flow to strengthen their interactions with endothelia using mechanisms that are remarkably similar to the mechanisms supporting leukocyte rolling on vascular surfaces.

Credit

Ebady et al./<i>Cell Reports</i> 2016

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