Treating bacterial infections with a protein from a virus

Abstract

Harmful bacteria are microscopic organisms that can sometimes make you very sick. Usually, when harmful bacteria enter our bodies, they are rapidly detected by the immune system, which kills these invaders. However, some bacteria can trick the immune system by coating themselves with substances that make them invisible to the immune system. These disguises are called capsules. However, there are some proteins called capsular depolymerases that can remove the capsules from these harmful bacteria, exposing the bacteria to the immune system, which can then kill them. Therefore, capsular depolymerases can help the immune system to kill harmful bacteria. In this article, we explain where capsular depolymerases are found in nature, how they are different from antibiotics, and how they could be used to treat bacterial diseases.