Forssman and the staphylococcal hemolysins

APMIS. 2025 Jan;133(1):e13459. doi: 10.1111/apm.13459. Epub 2024 Aug 27.

Abstract

Forssman was a Swedish pathologist and microbiologist who, in the 1920s and 1930s conducted a long series of experiments that led to unique insights into surface antigens of blood cells, as well as added to the discrimination of toxins produced by staphylococci that lyse red blood cells. This review takes offset in the studies published by Forssman in APMIS addressing the hemolytic properties of staphylococcal toxins displayed against erythrocytes of animal and human origin. In light of current knowledge, we will discuss the insights we now have and how they may pave the way for curing infections with pathogenic staphylococci, including Staphylococcus aureus.

Keywords: Toxin; hemolysin; quorum sensing vaccine; regulation.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism
  • Erythrocytes / microbiology
  • Hemolysin Proteins* / metabolism
  • Hemolysis
  • History, 20th Century
  • Humans
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcus aureus* / pathogenicity
  • Sweden

Substances

  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • Bacterial Toxins