Pathogen adherence to epithelial cells

Pathogen adherence to epithelial cells is the essential first step in the establishment of most infectious diseases, involving the binding of microbial adhesins to host cell receptors (PubMed: 11544353). This process allows pathogens to resist physical clearance by host fluids and facilitates the delivery of virulence factors or cellular invasion (NIH: PMC7150056). In clinical practice, this mechanism is a target for anti-adhesion therapies, such as D-mannose for preventing E. coli attachment in urinary tract infections or monoclonal antibodies like Palivizumab that block viral adherence (PubChem: CID 135314758). By inhibiting these initial interactions, drugs can prevent colonization without necessarily killing the pathogen, potentially reducing the drive for antibiotic resistance (PubMed: 28803815). This target represents a broad biological mechanism rather than a single molecular entity, encompassing various protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate interactions.

Other names

Microbial adhesionBacterial attachmentHost-pathogen interactionViral attachmentPathogen-host cell adherence

Competitive inhibition of microbial adhesins or host cell receptors to prevent attachment and colonization.