An antidote for Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the leading cause of bacterial infections in the United States. Severe invasive MRSA infections, which include pneumonia, are difficult to treat because the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. A new report now shows that immunization against alpha-hemolysin (Hla), a cytolytic toxin secreted by most S. aureus strains, protects mice against lethal pneumonia. This finding represents the first successful vaccine strategy for the treatment of staphylococcal pneumonia.