Human Enteric α-Defensin 5 Promotes Shigella Infection by Enhancing Bacterial Adhesion and Invasion

How Shigella can be infectious in humans despite lacking clear mechanisms for mucosal adhesion remains a long-standing enigma concerning its pathogenesis. Xu et al. demonstrate that Shigella exploits the host defense peptide HD5 in the gut to attain its ability to colonize and destroy the intestinal epithelium.

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