Publication from professor Kline's lab on Enterococcus faecalis
This study demonstrates that Enterococcus faecalis exploits lactic acid as an immunomodulatory metabolite to suppress macrophage activation and antimicrobial function. By dampening host immune responses, E. faecalis promotes its own persistence and facilitates polymicrobial wound infection, revealing a previously underappreciated link between bacterial metabolism, immune modulation, and chronic infection.
Enterococcus faecalis-derived lactic acid suppresses macrophage activation to facilitate persistent and polymicrobial wound infections.
da Silva RAG, Tien BYQ, Kao PHN, Antypas H, Celik C, Tan AZC, Ismail MH, Hu G, Chong KKL, Thibault G, Chen J, Kline KA. Cell Host Microbe. 2026 Feb 11;34(2):245-262.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2026.01.002.
