Dual actions of group B capsular sialic acid provide resistance to platelet-mediated antimicrobial killing.

Circulating platelets have important functions in thrombosis and in modulating immune and inflammatory responses. However, the role of platelets in innate immunity to bacterial infection is largely unexplored. While human platelets rapidly kill , we found the neonatal pathogen group B (GBS) to be remarkably resistant to platelet killing.