Alternative therapies that aid the body’s immune system to fight bacteria have shown promise in addressing the global threat of antibiotic resistance. University of Queensland researchers have found when under attack, the body’s immune cells activate a cellular process called mitochondrial fission to kill invading bacteria. Their study is published in the journal Science Immunology.

Dr. James Curson, from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said mitochondrial fission was a critical process in which mitochondria within cells split into smaller units to support the body’s response to stresses, including infections.

“Some bacteria have evolved strategies to stop activation of the mitochondrial fission process—allowing the invading pathogens to survive, and the infection to persist,” Dr. Curson said.