Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains—New Strategies for an Old Pathogen
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections worldwide. Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (UPECs) are the main causative agent of UTIs. UPECs initially colonize the human host adhering to the bladder epithelium. Adhesion is followed by the bacterial invasion o...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/7/1425 |
| _version_ | 1797444989190406144 |
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| author | Carlo Zagaglia Maria Grazia Ammendolia Linda Maurizi Mauro Nicoletti Catia Longhi |
| author_facet | Carlo Zagaglia Maria Grazia Ammendolia Linda Maurizi Mauro Nicoletti Catia Longhi |
| author_sort | Carlo Zagaglia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections worldwide. Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (UPECs) are the main causative agent of UTIs. UPECs initially colonize the human host adhering to the bladder epithelium. Adhesion is followed by the bacterial invasion of urothelial epithelial cells where they can replicate to form compact aggregates of intracellular bacteria with biofilm-like properties. UPEC strains may persist within epithelial urothelial cells, thus acting as quiescent intracellular bacterial reservoirs (QIRs). It has been proposed that host cell invasion may facilitate both the establishment and persistence of UPECs within the human urinary tract. UPEC strains express a variety of virulence factors including fimbrial and afimbrial adhesins, invasins, iron-acquisition systems, and toxins, which cooperate to the establishment of long lasting infections. An increasing resistance rate relative to the antibiotics recommended by current guidelines for the treatment of UTIs and an increasing number of multidrug resistant UPEC isolates were observed. In order to ameliorate the cure rate and improve the outcomes of patients, appropriate therapy founded on new strategies, as alternative to antibiotics, needs to be explored. Here, we take a snapshot of the current knowledge of coordinated efforts to develop innovative anti-infective strategies to control the diffusion of UPECs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:20:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5473f8a8c4c14c9d9b745f9615573d35 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:20:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-5473f8a8c4c14c9d9b745f9615573d352023-11-30T21:30:56ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072022-07-01107142510.3390/microorganisms10071425Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains—New Strategies for an Old PathogenCarlo Zagaglia0Maria Grazia Ammendolia1Linda Maurizi2Mauro Nicoletti3Catia Longhi4Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Microbiology Section, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyNational Center of Innovative Technologies in Public Health, National Institute of Health, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Microbiology Section, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Sciences and Clinics, “G. D’Annunzio” University, 66100 Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Microbiology Section, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections worldwide. Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (UPECs) are the main causative agent of UTIs. UPECs initially colonize the human host adhering to the bladder epithelium. Adhesion is followed by the bacterial invasion of urothelial epithelial cells where they can replicate to form compact aggregates of intracellular bacteria with biofilm-like properties. UPEC strains may persist within epithelial urothelial cells, thus acting as quiescent intracellular bacterial reservoirs (QIRs). It has been proposed that host cell invasion may facilitate both the establishment and persistence of UPECs within the human urinary tract. UPEC strains express a variety of virulence factors including fimbrial and afimbrial adhesins, invasins, iron-acquisition systems, and toxins, which cooperate to the establishment of long lasting infections. An increasing resistance rate relative to the antibiotics recommended by current guidelines for the treatment of UTIs and an increasing number of multidrug resistant UPEC isolates were observed. In order to ameliorate the cure rate and improve the outcomes of patients, appropriate therapy founded on new strategies, as alternative to antibiotics, needs to be explored. Here, we take a snapshot of the current knowledge of coordinated efforts to develop innovative anti-infective strategies to control the diffusion of UPECs.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/7/1425uropathogenic <i>E. coli</i>urinary tract infectionsantibiotic resistancenew therapeutic strategies |
| spellingShingle | Carlo Zagaglia Maria Grazia Ammendolia Linda Maurizi Mauro Nicoletti Catia Longhi Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains—New Strategies for an Old Pathogen Microorganisms uropathogenic <i>E. coli</i> urinary tract infections antibiotic resistance new therapeutic strategies |
| title | Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains—New Strategies for an Old Pathogen |
| title_full | Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains—New Strategies for an Old Pathogen |
| title_fullStr | Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains—New Strategies for an Old Pathogen |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains—New Strategies for an Old Pathogen |
| title_short | Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Uropathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> Strains—New Strategies for an Old Pathogen |
| title_sort | urinary tract infections caused by uropathogenic i escherichia coli i strains new strategies for an old pathogen |
| topic | uropathogenic <i>E. coli</i> urinary tract infections antibiotic resistance new therapeutic strategies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/7/1425 |
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