Posted: 23rd April 2025
Scientists at La Trobe University made a groundbreaking discovery, revealing the three-dimensional structure of a toxin secreted by enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) bacteria. This toxin, identified as EspC, acted like “molecular scissors” to cut open and destroy gut cells, leading to severe illness and sometimes death.
Published in the journal Gut Microbes, the research was crucial for developing new, targeted drugs to treat EPEC infections, especially in the face of rising antimicrobial resistance.
Professor Begoña Heras, who co-led the research, emphasized the importance of understanding how this dangerous bacterial toxin worked. “Many strains of E. coli, including EPEC, were becoming increasingly resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat these infections,” she said. “This was alarming as 1.3 million children under the age of five died each year from diarrheal illnesses due to severe dehydration and loss of essential electrolytes.”
Dr. Jason Paxman, who co-led the research with Professor Heras, highlighted the challenges in treating E. coli infections. “We were running out of options to treat bacterial diseases, with some bacterial pathogens now resistant to all antibiotics,” he said. “New antibiotics were still being developed, but the pace was extremely slow.”
This discovery brought scientists one step closer to stopping deadly diseases caused by EPEC, which affected millions worldwide. The research underscored the urgent need for new, targeted treatments to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.
