Research led by a specialist from the RISE-Health Research Unit has identified a potential new solution for Group B Streptococcus, a bacterium that colonises the intestinal and genital tracts and, when transmitted to the baby during childbirth, can result in the development of diseases such as neonatal meningitis or pneumonia, sepsis and, in more severe cases, death.

‘Invasive neonatal infection by Group B Streptococcus remains one of the leading causes of mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment, affecting critical processes of brain maturation, cognition and behaviour,’ the experts emphasise, explaining that ‘sepsis is a clinical syndrome of organ dysfunction and one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality, accounting for 15% of all deaths.’

In the study, conducted on laboratory animals and published in the scientific journal International Immunopharmacology, the team of researchers highlights that “Group B Streptococcus colonises the lower genital tract of up to 40% of pregnant women, posing a significant risk of infection to babies throughout the perinatal period. In addition, about half of newborns who survive infection with this bacterium have neurological developmental deficiencies and permanent neurological sequelae, including motor, learning and socio-emotional impairments.”

Currently, Group B Streptococcus infection is diagnosed through microbiological cultures, both in maternal screening and when neonatal sepsis is suspected. However, these methods identify the presence of the bacterium but do not assess the early impact of infection on the developing brain or the risk of long-term neurological sequelae. The study led by Laura Oliveira (RISE-Health/ICBAS-UP) identified the P2X7 receptor as a potential new solution for the development of therapeutic strategies against neonatal infection.

‘Early activation of the P2X7R receptor allows the neuroimmune response to be modulated at the time of infection, reducing pathological neuroinflammation and protecting the developing brain with a beneficial longitudinal effect on survivors of this infection, preventing the cognitive deficits and anxiety profile observed in animal models,’ explains Laura Oliveira, adding that ‘this study has enabled the identification of a potential new biomarker for the early identification of neuronal damage in circumstances of neonatal sepsis.’

According to the RISE-Health expert, combating Group B Streptococcus infection ‘also involves the development of new effective vaccines,’ highlighting that ‘the development of new biomarkers could be a complementary approach to reducing the impact of this infection on the developing brain.’

The article ‘Early P2X7 receptor activation mitigates neonatal group B Streptococcus infection severity and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment’ was authored by Laura Oliveira (RISE-Health/ICBAS-UP), Sales Fialho, Irina Amorim and Paula Ferreira (ICBAS-UP). Researchers Clara Quintas (FFUP) and Patrick Trie-Cuot (Université Paris Cité) also contributed to the scientific paper.