Abstract
Quorum sensing signal molecules (QSSMs) from the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa control bacterial population density and the expression of virulence determinants. Coincidentally, and possibly to allow this pathogen to gain a foothold in the human body, certain signal molecules also downregulate immunological responses in an apparently T-helper 1-selective manner, which would suggest their application as therapeutics to some autoimmune diseases. In the present paper, experiments are described that indicate that one particular signal molecule, a synthetic N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone, can be used to alleviate insulitis and diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, suggesting that bacterial signal molecules may represent a novel source of immune modulatory compounds for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, which afflicts more than 2 million individuals in Europe and North America.
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Pritchard, D.I., Todd, I., Brown, A. et al. Alleviation of insulitis and moderation of diabetes in NOD mice following treatment with a synthetic Pseudomonas aeruginosasignal molecule, N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone. Acta Diabetol 42, 119–122 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-005-0190-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-005-0190-2