In a new study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, scientists have perceived a better understanding of the working of the Chlamydia bacteria. This study will help them advance new strategies to prevent and control the infection better. The process known as TILLING, mostly popular for transforming plant genetics, when applied to bacterial genetics of the specified Chlamydia gene was able to successfully revolutionize the approach to the Chlamydia disease. This disease includes both sexually transmitted infections and trachoma. The infections lead to pelvic inflammatory disease that can cause infertility and blindness and in women. The scientists explained that generally Chlamydia bacteria live inside cells where they are sheltered in a bubble like experience from foreign DNA by a series of cellular and bacterial membranes. Thus, in order to mutate and maneuver the genes a very complicated and inhibiting approach had to be applied. However, with this new procedure the gene got inactivated and undermined without much tussle in the lab-grown human cell.

Via: nih.gov

In a research at the Molecular Microbiology Group, University of Southampton, in alliance with the Department of Virology, Ben Gurion University, Israel, a significant breakthrough was achieved to access the genome of Chlamydia trachomatis. The team led by Professor Ian Clarke, University of Southampton, has discovered that treating this sexually transmitted disease with calcium ions yields a way to maneuver in a piece of foreign DNA. This could help future research in this field for new approaches to therapeutic intrusions and Chlamydia vaccines.

Via: Soton.uk

Researchers at work at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have come across a potential target for the development of a vaccine against Chlamydia trachomatis. The team led by Toni Darville has found plasmid deficient derivatives of Chlamydia bacteria that can assist to serve as a vaccine against the disease. Dr. Darville explained that about 2.8 million Americans are infected with Chlamydia each year and this finding might help solve this problem largely.

Via: Eurekalert.org

In a recent research presented at the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, scientists revealed that people suffering from severe asthma are more likely to have antibodies against the disease-causing bacteria Chlamydia pneumonia. Asthma is a respiratory disease with no cure and managed by controlling the disease symptoms. A research team, led by Professor Eduard Drizik of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, conducted a study designed to determine if the presence of Chlamydia antibodies could predict asthma severity and if these patients, with the antibodies, would benefit from treatment with antibiotics. The study showed that patients who were treated on the basis of asthma severity with antibiotics noted significant progress.

Via: ScienceDaily.com

Researchers under the guidance of Professor Harlan Caldwell, chief of national institute of allergy and infectious diseases’ Laboratory of Intracellular Parasites, are busy working on a vaccine that prevents infection from all 15 varieties of Chlamydia trachomatis. The study follows the basic principle of Caldwell that says that antigen plays a key role in the spread of disease. In this case, he has identified the protein antigen as polymorphic membrane protein D, or PmpD. Hence, a vaccine that neutralizes PmpD could prevent infection and defend to bolster immunity. However, the analysis of the PmpD is vital here to the road to inventing of the vaccine. Hence, the group is currently trying to evaluate whether a PmpD based vaccine could possibly neutralize antibodies that can block the bacterial infection leading to Chlamydia.

Via: Niaid.gov