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That finding alone is interesting, because it helps explain why cystic-fibrosis patients with bacterial infections often develop copious mucus in their lungs, even though this does nothing to counter the bacteria.
這一發(fā)現(xiàn)本身就很有趣，因為它有助于解釋為什么患有細(xì)菌感染的囊性纖維化患者經(jīng)常在肺部產(chǎn)生大量粘液，盡管這對于對抗細(xì)菌毫無作用。
More intriguing, though, was what happened when the researchers tried growing P.Aeruginosa on samples of this mucus.
然而，更有趣的是，當(dāng)研究人員試圖在這種粘液樣本上培養(yǎng)銅綠假單胞菌時發(fā)生了的現(xiàn)象。
So long as LasB was present, the bacteria did not merely thrive, but actually consumed the mucus.
只要LasB存在，細(xì)菌不僅會茁壯成長，而且實際上還會消耗粘液。
Not only is P.Aeruginosa tricking the immune system into an inappropriate response, it is also feeding on the result.
銅綠假單胞菌不僅欺騙免疫系統(tǒng)，使其產(chǎn)生不恰當(dāng)?shù)姆磻?yīng)，而且還以此為食。
And to make things worse still, Dr Medzhitov also discovered that all this immune manipulation makes the surrounding tissues prone to allergy.
更糟糕的是，梅德日托夫博士還發(fā)現(xiàn)，所有這些免疫操作都會使周圍組織容易過敏。
Allergic reactions are, essentially, exaggerated and inappropriate type-2 immune responses.
過敏反應(yīng)本質(zhì)上是夸張和不恰當(dāng)?shù)?型免疫反應(yīng)。
The researchers therefore wondered whether the reactions being created by LasB could cause lasting allergies to develop.
因此，研究人員想知道LasB產(chǎn)生的反應(yīng)是否會導(dǎo)致持久的過敏反應(yīng)。
To find out, they sprayed mice infected with P.Aeruginosa with egg-white protein (often used as an experimental allergen) on the first and seventh days of a four-week experiment.
為了找到答案，他們在為期四周的實驗的第一天和第七天，向感染銅綠假單胞菌的小白鼠噴灑蛋清蛋白(通常用作實驗性過敏原)。
As a control, they did the same with some mice genetically engineered to lack the ability to produce amphiregulin when exposed to LasB.
作為對照，他們對一些基因改造的小白鼠做了同樣的實驗，當(dāng)暴露在LasB中時，小白鼠缺乏產(chǎn)生雙性調(diào)節(jié)蛋白的能力。
They theorised that, in the absence of worms, the inflamed epithelial tissues in normal mice might instead identify the egg-white protein as an intruder.
他們推測，在沒有蠕蟲的情況下，正常小白鼠體內(nèi)發(fā)炎的上皮組織可能會將蛋清蛋白識別為入侵者。
This is exactly what happened.
事情就是這樣。
When injected with a small amount of egg-white protein two and three weeks after the start of the experiment, the normal mice showed a strong allergic response to it.
當(dāng)實驗開始兩周和三周后，正常小白鼠被注射少量蛋清蛋白后，表現(xiàn)出強烈的過敏反應(yīng)。
In contrast, the amphiregulin-free mice showed little.
相比之下，不含雙調(diào)節(jié)蛋白的小白鼠幾乎沒有表現(xiàn)出過敏反應(yīng)。
These discoveries, fascinating in and of themselves, also pave the way for new approaches to treating infections in those with cystic fibrosis.
這些發(fā)現(xiàn)本身就很極具吸引力，也為治療囊性纖維癥患者感染的新方法鋪平了道路。
Moreover, if one bug has thus evolved a way to milk the immune system, the chances are good that others have done so too.
此外，如果一種細(xì)菌因此進化出了一種騙取免疫系統(tǒng)的方法，那么其他細(xì)菌也很有可能這樣做。
Thus alerted, researchers will be on the lookout for similar cases.
因此，研究人員將警惕類似的情況。
