Co-authors Joshua Wolf, PhD, MBBS, and Jason Rosch, PhD, both of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude, contribute to a study of bacteria and how it adapts to resist antibiotics.
Children treated for cancer are apt to get infections. Scientists at St. Jude, the University of Pittsburgh and Harvard Medical School want to know why some infections are hard to treat.
“We can't assume that bacteria are all the same,” said Joshua Wolf, PhD, MBBS, Infectious Diseases. “During the time they're on us or causing infections they can evolve to become better pathogens.”
The team sequenced antibiotic-resistant bacteria that infect kids with leukemia. Scientists found the bacteria adapt over time and respond to therapy. This helps them survive in the body in spite of antibiotics.
“The sequencing results showed that key metabolic processes change in the bacteria,” said Jason Rosch, PhD, Infectious Diseases. “We could see how the bacteria were evolving.”
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published this work.
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