Scientists suggest opportunity for anti-infective drug development

The research appears in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, an American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology journal.

Any new drugs that could be developed to block this interaction would be a welcome alternative to the current treatment for H pylori infections, which typically involves taking three to four medications over a 10 to 14-day period.

Helicobacter pylori are spiral shaped bacteria that live in the thick layer of mucus that covers the stomach lining. The bacteria are found everywhere in the world, but are especially prevalent in developing countries, where up to 80% of children and 90% of adults can have laboratory evidence of an H pylori infection – usually without having any symptoms.

“H pylori alters acid production and can lead to increased acid outputs which causes peptic ulcer disease. The means through which H pylori causes gastric cancer are more complex but likely involve alterations in gastric epithelial cell responses that are perturbed within the context of a chronic gastric inflammatory infiltrate, which can persist for decades,” explained senior author Dr Richard Peek Jr. of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.