Flesh-Eating Bacteria Catastrophe Can be lessened by Mutant Gene

A simple mutant gene was recently discovered by researchers at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston that had the ability of decreasing the probability of one contracting the dangerous flesh-eating disease known as necrotizing fasciitis. The study also showed that it was possible to lessen the effect that such a devastating disease had on the body by inactivating a part section of the gene.

Recent findings of this study that was funded by the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health, were published in the online editorial of “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)”.

Co-director of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Musser stated that this recent study now opens up a world of possibility in relation to studying how disease develops at the lowest level. “Now that we have been able to identify a gene mutation that can directly effect a disease, as is the case with the flesh-eating bacteria, we can go ahead and find out how to possibly create cures and treatments for those that suffer from it."

While it is quite rare, Necrotizing Fasciitis is very deadly. 30 percent of those that contract it die. The most common cause of this disease is the Group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacteria that can also cause step throat.

"Although we knew that single-nucleotide changes were one of the reasons as to the cause for the variation in genetics, there has been remarkably little research and information that has been done in respect to the damaging effects that this bacteria has,” says Musser. "It is caused by some sort of mutation in the GAS genome that results in this Necrotizing Fasciitis."

An analysis was carried out by Dr. James Musser and his team on GAS strains that were taken from those patients suffering from strep-related diseases. The analysis showed that a naturally occurring mutation in this genome brought about the destruction of the face. The study also showed that this mutation resulted in a segment of the gene turning off, thereby reducing the natural ability of the body to destroy this disease that destroys the soft tissue of the body.

By utilizing an integrated systems biology strategy, the conducted study showed that there was early termination of the MtsR protein by the MtsR mutation. It was also observed that the inactivation of the MtsR caused this flesh eating disease.