Helping Bladder Cells Clear Urinary Infections
Researchers at EPFL and OM Pharma have discovered a new mechanism by which the drug OM-89 (Uro-Vaxom®) helps prevent recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). The study, published in PLOS Pathogens, shows OM-89 directly strengthens bladder cells' ability to eliminate hidden bacteria by activating lysosomal degradation pathways and increasing antibiotic uptake.
Why it matters
This scientific breakthrough provides a deeper understanding of how a long-used drug functions, potentially leading to more effective treatments and prevention strategies for recurrent UTIs, a common and challenging bacterial infection that contributes to antibiotic resistance.
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are among the most common bacterial infections, caused mostly by the uropathogenic bacterium Escherichia coli. But even after antibiotic treatment, a large number of patients experience another UTI.
One reason is that the bacterium can enter the cells of the bladder's lining (its "epithelium") and hide there, sheltered from both antibiotics and the patient's immune system. Surviving like this, these bacteria can later multiply again and cause recurrent UTIs, which become a bigger problem since repeated antibiotic treatment risks generating antibiotic resistance.
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