Common airway bacterium may help prepare lungs to fight pneumonia
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz have discovered that the common mouth bacterium Prevotella melaninogenica may help prime lung immune cells to better fight pneumonia. This finding suggests that the respiratory microbiome plays a crucial role in natural immune defense.
Why it matters
Understanding how the microbiome influences immune response could lead to new preventative treatments for respiratory infections.
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Add to Preferred Sources Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A common bacterium found in the mouth and airways may help the lungs better defend themselves against pneumonia, according to new research from the University of Colorado Anschutz.
The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , found that exposure to Prevotella melaninogenica (P. melaninogenica), a type of bacterium commonly found in healthy airways, changed the behavior of immune cells in the lungs of mice. When the mice were later exposed to Streptococcus pneumoniae, a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, their immune systems were better able to recognize, engulf and clear the bacteria.
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