Study summary · research use only
Potential Therapy for Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Infections With Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This article discusses potential use of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) against Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infection. The abstract states evidence that NG infects human fallopian tubes by molecular mimicry, acting like a ligand binding to epithelial hCG/luteinizing hormone (LH) receptors, with the hCG-like molecule identified as ribosomal protein L12 on the NG surface. It notes prior human fallopian tube organ and cell culture studies showed that cellular invasion and infection could be prevented by exposing cells to excess hCG, outcompeting NG for receptor binding, and the authors suggest testing hCG in clinical trials in infected women.
Abstract
The scientific evidence suggests that Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infects human fallopian tubes by molecular mimicry in which pathogens act like a ligand to bind to epithelial cell surface human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)/luteinizing hormone (LH) receptors. The hCG-like molecule has been identified as ribosomal protein L12 in NG coat surface. Human fallopian tube epithelial cells have been shown to contain functional hCG/LH receptors. As previously shown in human fallopian tube organ and cell culture studies, cellular invasion and infection can be prevented by exposing the cells to excess hCG, which would outnumber and outcompete NG for receptor binding. Based on these data, we suggest testing hCG in clinical trials on infected women.
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