Bacterial histone-like proteins released during antibiotic treatment mediate vascular injury in meningococcal sepsis.
Dagmara McGuinness, Carla Johnson, Leandro Lemgruber, Fadil A. Bidmos, Edwin Alexander Yates, Jeremy E. Turnbull, Tom J. Evans, Rebecca E. McHugh, Andrew J. Roe, Gill R. Douce, Andrew J. Smith, Roisin Ure, Cheng‐Hock Toh, Simon Timothy Abrams, Jethro Adam Herberg, , Christopher A. Moxon
Antibiotic treatment of meningococcal and other sepsis causative bacteria triggers the release of histone-like proteins (HLPs) that damage the endothelium and drive coagulopathy, but these effects can be neutralized by non-anticoagulant heparins or anti-HLP antibodies.
bioRxiv · Jul 16, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology