Changes in intracellular signaling following Helicobacter pylori infection of gastric epithelial cells

Many microbial pathogens exploit host cell signalling during infection of humans’. This manipulation of eukaryotic cell signal transduction pathways is likely to play a role in disease pathogenesis. Current research suggests that the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori also utilizes host signal transduction pathways during infection. The ability of these pathogens to manipulate host signalling also allows investigators to use the microbes as a probe to answer enigmatic questions regarding cellular functions. This area of research has recently been termed ‘cellular microbiology’ and is yielding important new information relevant to cell biology2. Furthermore, an understanding of bacterial pathogen—host cell interactions should enhance our understanding of disease pathophysiology and thereby lead to the development of novel therapeutic agents.