Infectious bacteria have for the first time been caught performing "biological alchemy" to transform parts of a host body into those more suited to their purposes, by a team in Edinburgh.
The study showed leprosy-causing bacteria turning nerve cells into stem cells and muscle cells.
Essentially these bacteria are transforming nerve cells, which are static, into something which is more valuable to them. These stem cells can then be grown and transported around the body.
Furthermore as these stem cells are “self” they can reach their desired location undetected by the immune system.
It is hoped that findings such as these could lead to new ways of developing stem cells in humans and/or improve the treatment of bacterial disease. However views on the clinical relevance of these findings are mixed.
Nonetheless the finding is very interesting and shows just how complex the interactions between humans and bacteria can be! You can read the full article here…
(Alchemy: The medieval forerunner of chemistry, based on the supposed transformation of matter, esp. that of base metals into gold.)
(Alchemy: The medieval forerunner of chemistry, based on the supposed transformation of matter, esp. that of base metals into gold.)
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