Methodist Hospital researchers find flesh-eating bacteria genetic roadmap, hope it leads to vaccine
Houston Methodist researchers are working to cure flesh-eating bacteria, a deadly disease that attacks the muscle, the hospital announced in a January press release.
Although the disease, technically known as necrotizing myositis, is not very common, when it occurs, up to 50 percent of all humans who develop it will die, according to the release. As well, it often leaves survivors with severe deformities and missing limbs.
Chairman of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at Houston Methodist, James M. Musser, M.D., Ph.D., and his team effectively used TraDIS, a genetic tool used in horses to treat an infection similar to severe strep throat called "strangles," for their research.
This tool allowed them to rapidly hone in on the crucial genes responsible for causing or contributing to group A strep necrotizing myositis, resulting in the identification of "every gene important for this bacteria to infect muscle," according to the release.
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Methodist-Hospital-research-flesh-eating-bacteria-13613152.php
