VIM and escherichia coli infection: Over the past few years, studies of the common neonatal bacterial meningitis caused by Escherichia coli K1 revealed the importance and significance of IbeA, a major virulence determinant during the early stage of neonatal E. coli infection [1], and its interactions with host factors in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC), including vimentin (primary receptor), polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB)-associated splicing factor (PSF) (co-receptor), and related signaling molecules (e.g., caveolin-1, ERK, and CaMKII) [2]–[6].