Juan David Valencia Bacca (@juanvalenciabacca.bsky.social)

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... Proud to see our work published in mBio! We uncover how C3 and C4 provide layered immune protection against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Grateful for my incredible mentors Dr. Ammar Zafar @azmicro.bsky.social, Dr. Karen Haas and supportive colleagues.

loading . . .

Divergent roles for complement components C3 and C4 in controlling Klebsiella pneumoniae gut colonization and systemic dissemination | mBio Klebsiella pneumoniae, a major public health threat, resists antibiotics and can spread from the gut to the bloodstream, causing severe infections. Our study reveals how the immune system uses complement proteins C3 and C4 to block this spread. C3 limits bacterial growth in the gut through two potential mechanisms: (i) coating K. pneumoniae with fragments that signal bacteria-eating phagocytic cells to destroy it and (ii) recruiting more phagocytes into the gut. C3 also helps clear bacteria that escape into the blood. However, when antibiotic-resistant strains overgrow, C3 alone is insufficient. In these cases, C4 becomes critical, likely by enhancing C3’s ability to tag bacteria for elimination. This two-layered defense highlights new immune pathways that could be targeted to prevent bloodstream infections, especially in vulnerable patients or those colonized with drug-resistant bacteria. These insights open doors to innovative strategies against life-threatening Klebsiella infections. https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.03416-25