Discovery of a New Action of Macrolide Drugs: Suppresses Proinflammatory Components Released by Streptococcus pneumoniae

May 23, 2023

A research group led by Associate Professor DOMON Hisanori and Professor TERAO Yutaka of the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University discovered that azithromycin and erythromycin, macrolides drugs1, prevent exacerbation of inflammation by suppressing the production of inflammation inducers released by Streptococcus pneumoniae. The research was published in the online version of the US scientific journal Microbiology Spectrum on May 16, 2023.

Research results

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae releases proinflammatory components such as peptidoglycan and lipoproteins, causing inflammation in the body.
  • This research discovered that macrolides suppress the production of these proinflammatory components .
  • The research may lead to the development of a treatment for pneumonia that targets bacterial proinflammatory components.
[Glossary]

1. An antibacterial agent that suppresses protein synthesis in bacteria.

Publication Details

Journal: Microbiology Spectrum
Title: Macrolides decrease the proinflammatory activity of macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Hisanori Domon, Satoru Hirayama, Toshihito Isono, Karin Sasagawa, Fumio Takizawa, Tomoki Maekawa, Katsunori Yanagihara, Yutaka Terao
doi: 10.1128/spectrum.00148-23

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