Antibiotics have been a great addition to our arsenal in the fight against bacterial infections. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of a novel antibiotic is constrained to a timeline based on usage. This timeline is being shortened by improper usage and the natural evolution of bacteria. The problem of shelf life is exacerbated by antibiotic abuse. A new way of prolonging the lifespan of antibiotics is being researched at the Imperial College of London.
Image from Creative Commons
Researchers at the Imperial College of London found that inhibitors can be utilized to slow down the process of antibiotic resistance. The protein DsbA is found to take part in folding antibiotic resistance proteins into the proper shape to avoid defeat against antibiotics. The inhibitor was successful in actually stopping the effects of antibiotic resistance. However, the chemicals used were not usable in the human body due to their toxicity.
DsbA targets the disulfide bond formation that occurs. Stopping this process can make the bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics. According to the American Society of Microbiology, the presence of disulfide bonds is critical to stopping the effects of both antibiotic and phage resistance. With the use of inhibitors, the formation of these defensive disulfide bonds can be stopped. This increases the bacteria's susceptibility to being defeated.
Image by Duncan: The effects of an antibiotic-resistant bacteria without the DsbA compared to the same bacteria in the presence of DsbA.
It is critical that society practices good antibiotic stewardship. However, with time, antibiotic-resistant bacteria will develop. The principles of good antibiotic stewardship involve:
Finishing the course of antibiotics once started
Not pushing healthcare providers to prescribe antibiotics
Reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics.
While finding new antibiotics as replacements, finding ways to make the current supply last as long as possible is critical.
The primary challenge with this innovative approach lies in developing safe human therapeutics. As previously mentioned, the inhibitor used by the researchers at the Imperial College of London is unsafe for human use. It is therefore crucial to find a way to render these inhibitors safe for human consumption.
Using inhibitors combined with antibiotics may offer people a new tool to fight against bacterial infections effectively.
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