Molecule Makes Cells Kill Chlamydia, Duke University Study

A newly designed molecule disarms the pathogen responsible for the largest number of sexually transmitted infections in the United States. The therapies that could come from this discovery mark a new type of antimicrobial approach. Instead of directly killing Chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis), the therapies disarm a central weapon of the bacterium and let the body take care of the rest. Chlamydial infections are symptomless at the beginning, but can become chronic in women and lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility as it infects cells in the uterus and fallopian tubes.