Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics by closing pores on the surface to prevent drugs from entering

by



[ad_1]

One study reveals that bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics by closing pores on the surface to prevent drugs from entering

  • Researchers have discovered that bacteria are able to close pores to prevent antibiotics from entering
  • The bacterium studied infected more than 20,000 people in the UK last year.
  • Drugs could be developed to "lock in" the bacteria's defenses, they said

By Sam Blanchard Principal Health Rapporteur for Mailonline

published: 10:00 am, Paris time, 2 September 2019 | Update: 10:00 am, Paris time, 2 September 2019

Scientists have discovered how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and claim that they might be able to find a way to overcome their defenses.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, called superbugs, are a deadly and growing concern as more and more people contract hard-to-treat diseases.

Resistance is one of the biggest threats to human health in the World Health Organization and is already killing tens of thousands of people a year.

Research has shown how bacteria close the pores through which antibiotics penetrate, thus preventing drugs from entering and destroying them.

And the scientists said that understanding this process could help them design drugs that break the bolt and overcome defenses.

A type of bacteria called Klebsiella pneumoniae (in the photo, an illustration of the bacteria) is becoming more resistant to antibiotics widely used in hospitals

A type of bacteria called Klebsiella pneumoniae (in the photo, an illustration of the bacteria) is becoming more resistant to antibiotics widely used in hospitals

Researchers at Imperial College London have studied a type of bacterium called Klebsiella pneumoniae.

These bacteria cause infections in the lungs, wounds and blood of hospitalized patients and especially those with weakened immune systems.

More than 20,000 K. pneumoniae infections have been reported in British hospitals over the past year.

And bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics – particularly a class of drugs called carbapenems, which are used as a backup solution when others fail.

Scientists say that increasing resistance to carbapenems could dramatically affect the ability to cure infections that were once simple to treat.

Dr. Joshua Wong, author of the study, said, "As the prevalence of antibiotic resistance is increasing, we are increasingly dependent on drugs such as carbapenems, which work against a wide range of bacteria.

WHAT IS RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS?

Doctors and hospital staff have been dispensing antibiotics unnecessarily for decades, making formerly harmless bacteria become superbugs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has already warned that if nothing was done, the world was heading towards a "post-antibiotic" era.

He claimed that common infections, such as chlamydia, would become life-threatening without immediate solutions to the growing crisis.

Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are dispensed unnecessarily.

Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies said in 2016 that the threat of antibiotic resistance is as serious as terrorism.

Figures estimate that super-bacteria will kill 10 million people each year by 2050, patients succumbing to previously harmless insects.

About 700,000 people are already dying each year from drug-resistant infections, such as tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria, all over the world.

Concerns have been raised repeatedly that drugs will be reduced to "dark ages" if antibiotics are ineffective in the years to come.

In addition to existing drugs becoming less effective, there have been only one or two new antibiotics developed over the last 30 years.

In September, the WHO warned that antibiotics were about to run out, a report revealing a "serious lack" of new drugs under development.

Without antibiotics, caesareans, cancer treatments and hip replacements would become incredibly "risky", it was said at the time.

"But now that important bacteria like K. pneumoniae are gaining increased carbapenem resistance, it is important that we understand how they can achieve this.

"Our new study provides vital information that could lead to new strategies and new drugs."

In his article, Dr. Wong explained how the team examined the pore structure on the surface of K. pneumoniae.

These pores are the holes through which antibiotics enter the drug and are able to destroy them from within.

The team found that when bacteria become resistant, they close the pores as if they were closing a door inside of themselves.

Although it makes it more difficult for them to absorb nutrients and thus slow down their growth rate, it also makes them much harder to kill.

However, the team said the advantage of avoiding antibiotics outweighed the negative impact of slower growth for bacteria, allowing them to maintain a high level of infection.

Being able to understand the mechanisms of this process could help scientists develop drugs that bypass the "locked doors" of the bacteria.

Professor Gad Frankel, head of the study, said, "It's hard to get around the change in bacteria to avoid antibiotics.

"Any drug to counter this defense mechanism would probably be blocked by closed doors.

"However, we hope that it will be possible to design drugs that can lock the door, and our data provides information that enables scientists and pharmaceutical companies to bring these new agents to life."

Scientists say their findings suggest that the intensive use of carbapenems in the hospital setting is an important factor in the spread of these superbugs.

They suggest that there should be rules in place to limit the frequency with which broad-spectrum drugs can be prescribed in hospitals.

The research was published in Nature Communications.

[ad_2]

Source link