Bloodstream infections are a major cause of illness and death worldwide. The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is the leading global cause of these fatal bloodstream infections, with antimicrobial resistant (AMR) strains such as methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) compounding what is considered a major clinical problem.
Despite advances in modern medicine the incidences of bloodstream infection is increasing year-on-year, and scientists and doctors have no definitive understanding of why this is. Furthermore, these bacteria are present in the microbiome of approximately one third of the human population, and it is well established that those colonised by S. aureus are at higher risk of infection.
Now, Professor Ruth Massey, from Bristol’s School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and UCC’s School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, together with Professors Rachel McLoughlin at Trinity College Dublin and Mario Recker at the University of Exeter, will examine how this bacterium causes damage to human tissue and evade the immune system.
Building on their past research, they will now build the first detailed description of the key bacteria-host interactions and processes that control the establishment and severity of S. aureus bloodstream infection, with a view to identifying key intervention points to inform treatment guidelines and ultimately reduce the burden of S. aureus infection for patients and healthcare settings. The project will advance critical understanding of how this notorious human pathogen causes disease.