In a study on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) urinary tract infection (UTI) using a mouse model of catheter-associated UTI (CAUTI) and catheters from human patients, researchers found that catheterization potentiates MRSA infection by inducing an inflammatory response that results in the release of the fibrinogen (Fg) protein, which facilitates the colonization of MRSA, likely mediated through an Fg-binding protein, findings that might facilitate the development of targeted treatments for MRSA CAUTI.
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Article #17-07572: "Catheterization alters bladder ecology to potentiate Staphylococcus aureus infection of the urinary tract," by Jennifer Walker et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Scott Hultgren, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; tel: 314-362-6772; e-mail: <hultgren@wustl.edu>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences