At left, a small white molecule in the middle of part of the flu virus effectively blocks the virus from copying itself. So scientists, with the structure in hand thanks to PCG work, tinkered with each of the amino acids. It turns out that, like a string of cheap Christmas tree lights, knocking out any one amino acid disabled the whole mechanism. If S. aureus can't hang on, it can't get in and colonize human tissue. The next step, Delucas said, is to design a drug that will mimic collagen and bind to at least one of the bacteria's surface amino acids and thus keep it from getting a foothold.
Human trials start in the fall.
Chagas disease, a crippling, parasitic affliction carried by the Kissing Bug. Both parasite and bug are immune to treatment. The tropical disease, now found in 150,000 people in the U.S., wastes muscle tissues until the victim dies. With help from Central and South American researchers who have pulled specimens from the rain forests, work is moving ahead on a compound that blocks a key protein in Chagas. Diabetics may avoid some of the long-term damage caused by insulin injections which make the dosage take wide swings.