Magnesium therapy improves outcome in Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis by altering pneumolysin pore formation.

Magnesium is a well-established and safe therapeutic agent that has demonstrated capacity for attenuating pneumolysin-triggered pathogenic effects on the brain. The improved animal survival and clinical condition in the meningitis model identifies magnesium as a promising candidate for adjunctive treatment of pneumococcal meningitis, together with antibiotic therapy.