BENGALURU: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a way to potentially poison antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As the use of antibiotics has become commonplace, it has led to an increase in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Scientists have been trying to formulate a way to ensure drugs still remain effective against the diseases they are meant to treat. An alternative method is to use combination therapy, which is specifically used against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, by combining the old and new antibiotics to increase the likelihood of killing the bacteria.
Researchers, from the Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), have found a particular peptide, a short stretch of about 24 amino acids, that helps to poison some of the most deadly and antibiotic-resistant disease-causing bacteria.
On a molecular scale, the peptide attacks an enzyme in the bacteria that is responsible for replicating cells and synthesising protein. The enzyme attaches with the bacteria’s DNA helping it to replicate cells. According to scientists, while the enzyme is attached to the DNA, the peptide ‘traps’ the enzyme in place and eventually kills the bacteria’s cell.
The scientists tested the use of the peptide in several bacterial species, including those that cause food poisoning, salmonella, infections, pneumonia and endocarditis. They even compared it with other antibiotics, independently in cell culture and in animals. They found that the peptide is able to drastically reduce the number of bacteria and prevent infections more efficiently.