BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Infectious disease

April 11, 2017 8:08 PM UTC

Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting adrenergic receptors, PGR, cortisol receptor GR-2 and/or CHRNB2 could help treat post-stroke Listeria monocytogenes infection. Post-stroke patients had lower numbers of circulating peripheral NK cells than healthy volunteers. In a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced stroke followed by L. monocytogenes infection, the PGR/cortisol receptor GR-2 antagonist mifepristone plus the non-selective β-adrenergic receptor inhibitor propranolol decreased bacterial loads in the liver and spleen and increased NK cell secretion of interferon γ (IFNγ) and survival compared with vehicle. Also in the model, NK cell-specific knockout of CHRNB2 decreased bacterial load in the brain and increased levels of IFNγ in the brain and survival. Next steps could include testing the inhibitors in models of other post-stroke bacterial infections.

Generic mifepristone is marketed as an abortifacient...