Mutabilis: Blocking the blood highway

One of bacteria's most dangerous traits is the ability to pass into the blood and cause systemic infection, especially in immunocompromised patients. Mutabilis S.A. is developing anti-infective technology that targets the ability of bacteria to survive in human blood and hopes its products will prevent infection in the immunocompromised. The approach also is aimed at reducing bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

"Most of the very pathogenic bacteria like Staphylococcus and E. coli pass from the normal flora in the skin, the lung, the nose or other places to the blood," said CEO Sonia Escaich. "When they are in the blood, the infection then can pass into any tissue. What we want to do is block pathogenic strains from replicating in the blood."...