Intracellular bacterial growth is controlled by a kinase network around PKB/AKT1

n alternative to antibiotics Conventional antibiotics work by inactivating important pathogen functions, and they are therefore susceptible to the development of antibiotic resistance. An alternative approach is to target host factors that support pathogen growth. A possible target for this approach has been identified using a novel RNA interference screen for kinases capable of inhibiting intracellular growth of Salmonella typhimurium and Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The key molecule is AKT1, a kinase previously known as PKB, and extensively studied because of its anti-apoptotic activity and involvement in uncontrolled cancers.