New research introduces a promising new tool to combat the rapid, extensive spread of antibiotic resistance around the world. It nukes antibiotic resistance in selected bacteria, and renders other bacteria more sensitive to antibiotics.

       The research, if ultimately applied to pathogens on hospital surfaces or medical personnel's hands, could turn the tide on untreatable, often lethal bacterial infections.

       The World Health Organization at its annual assembly in Geneva approved a radical and far-reaching plan to slow the rapid, extensive spread of antibiotic resistance around the world. The plan hopes to curb the rise caused by an unchecked use of antibiotics and lack of new antibiotics on the market.

       New Tel Aviv University research published in PNAS introduces a promising new tool: a two-pronged system to combat this dangerous situation. It nukes antibiotic resistance in selected bacteria, and renders other bacteria more sensitive to antibiotics. The research, led by Prof. Udi Qimron of the Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology at TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, is based on bacterial viruses called phages, which transfer "edited" DNA into resistant bacteria to kill off resistant strains and make others more sensitive to antibiotics.

       According to the researchers by choosing suitable combinations of DNA-delivering phages specifically designed for appropriate sensitization treatments for each pathogen and selecting suitable combination of ‘killing’ phages antimicrobial resistance could be countered. In short the injected DNA eliminates the genes that cause resistance to antibiotics and confers protection against lethal phages.

       The researchers have managed to devise a way to restore antibiotic sensitivity to drug-resistant bacteria, and also prevent the transfer of genes that create that resistance among bacteria.

       Earlier research by Prof. Qimron revealed that bacteria could be sensitized to certain antibiotics and that specific chemical agent could "choose" those bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics. His strategy harnesses the CRISPR-Cas system a bacterial DNA-reprogramming system Prof. Qimron pioneered as a tool to expand on established principles.

       According to the researchers, "selective pressure" exerted by antibiotics renders most bacteria resistant to them hence the epidemic of lethal resistant infections in hospitals prevail. No counter-selection pressure for sensitization of antibiotics is currently available. Prof. Qimron's strategy actually combats this pressure selecting for the population of pathogens exhibiting antibiotic sensitivity where in addition to disinfection, could significantly render infections once again treatable by antibiotics.

Growing bacteria in Petri dishes. (Image credit: kasto / Fotolia)

Source: www.sciencedaily.com