Microbe-host cell adhesion

Microbe-host cell adhesion is a complex, essential biological process by which microbes (such as bacteria and some fungi or viruses) use surface proteins called adhesins (including pili, fimbriae, lectins, and microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules/MSCRAMMs) to bind to specific receptors (e.g., glycoproteins, glycolipids, ECM proteins, integrins, CEACAMs) on host cells. This stable association is necessary for colonization, pathogenesis, biofilm formation, tissue invasion, and immune evasion. The specific molecules involved vary widely between organisms and tissues, and successful adhesion can trigger host cell signaling, cytoskeletal rearrangement, or uptake of the microbe. The process can be targeted therapeutically, but only by focusing on individual adhesins or host cell receptors, not the broad process itself. Microbe-host cell adhesion is a fundamental process enabled by molecular interactions, not a target molecule or receptor.

Other names

Microbial adhesion to host cellsBacterial adhesionHost-microbe cell adherencePathogen-host cell binding

Drugs that inhibit microbe-host cell adhesion work by blocking adhesin binding sites on microbes, blocking host cell receptors (integrins, CEACAMs, ECM proteins) to prevent microbial attachment, or interfering with the formation or function of pili, fimbriae, or other surface structures required for adhesion. These drugs target specific molecules involved in the process, not the general process itself.