From colonisation to immune evasion: a synthesis of the interaction strategies that drive Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Staphylococcus aureus employs diverse protein-protein interactions to facilitate adhesion, invasion, and immune evasion, enabling persistent infection and resistance to host defenses.

• Why it matters: Understanding these PPIs is crucial because they underpin the pathogen’s ability to transition from colonization to invasive disease, highlighting potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
• What they did: The review synthesizes evidence on PPIs involved in adhesion, invasion, and immune evasion, comparing surface adhesins and organizing immune evasion strategies along the host defense timeline.
• The result: Identifying how PPIs contribute to infection robustness opens avenues for therapies such as allosteric modulators, decoys, and multi-target biologics to disrupt S. aureus pathogenicity.