At St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, scientists have uncovered a survival strategy in Streptococcus pneumoniae that challenges our long-held understanding of how bacteria endure antibiotic treatment. Rather than mutating to resist drugs outright, some bacterial cells enter a temporary dormancy — a kind of biological hibernation — that shields them from harm until treatment ends and growth can resume. This bet-hedging behavior, driven by changes in RNA regulation rather than permanent genetic resistance, suggests that the war against infection is being fought on terrain we have only just b
Researchers uncover how bacteria survive antibiotics through tolerance, not just resistance
Immunocompromised patients, particularly children with cancer, face increased risk of severe S. pneumoniae infections including pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and meningitis.