Klebsiella pneumoniae causes many breathing, intestinal tract, and urinary system infections. Due to its resistance to most typical antibiotics and its high virulence, a few of its pressures can be deadly for 40% to 50% of infected people. There is an urgent need to develop new restorative particles to counter it.
” Since the 1930s, medicine has actually depended on antibiotics to eliminate pathogenic germs,” discusses Pierre Cosson, professor in the Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism at the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, who led this research study. “But other techniques are possible, amongst which trying to compromise the bacterias defense system so that they can no longer get away the body immune system. This opportunity seems all the more promising as the virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae stems mostly from its capability to evade attacks from immune cells.”.
An amoeba as a model.
To identify whether the bacteria were compromised, the UNIGE scientists utilized a speculative model with surprising characteristics: the amoeba Dictyostelium. This single-cell organism feeds upon germs by capturing and consuming them, using the very same mechanisms that immune cells utilize to kill pathogens. “We genetically customized this amoeba so that it might tell us whether the bacteria it came across were virulent or not. This very simple system then enabled us to test thousands of particles and determine those that lowered bacterial virulence,” describes Pierre Cosson.
Weakening the bacteria without eliminating them.
Establishing a drug is a long and expensive process, with no assurance of outcomes. The UNIGE scientists, therefore, chose a quicker and more secure strategy: reviewing existing drugs to recognize possible brand-new healing signs.
” By altering the surface layer that protects the germs from their external environment, this pharmacological item makes it vulnerable. Unlike an antibiotic, edoxudine does not kill the germs, which limits the threat of establishing resistance, a major benefit of such an anti-virulence technique,” states the scientist.
The efficiency of such a treatment in human beings has yet to be validated, the outcomes of this study are motivating: edoxudine acts even on the most virulent pressures of Klebsiella pneumoniae, and at lower concentrations than those recommended to deal with herpes. “Sufficiently damaging the bacteria without killing them is a subtle strategy, however one that could prove to be a winner in the brief and long terms,” concludes Pierre Cosson.
Reference: “5-ethyl-2- deoxyuridine fragilizes Klebsiella pneumoniae external wall and helps with intracellular eliminating by phagocytic cells” by Estelle Ifrid, Hajer Ouertatani-Sakouhi, Tania Jauslin, Sebastien Kicka, Gianpaolo Chiriano, Christopher F. Harrison, Hubert Hilbi, Leonardo Scapozza, Thierry Soldati and Pierre Cosson, 31 October 2022, PLOS ONE.DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0269093.
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a type of bacteria that can cause severe infections in the respiratory system, urinary tract, and other parts of the body. Antibiotic resistance, or the ability of germs to develop resistance to treatment with antibiotics, has actually become a major concern for worldwide health. The overuse of prescription antibiotics has actually contributed to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant germs, which can cause major health problem and death. One example of an antibiotic-resistant pathogen is Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium typically found in hospitals and understood for its virulence. Unlike an antibiotic, edoxudine does not eliminate the germs, which limits the risk of developing resistance, a major benefit of such an anti-virulence technique,” states the researcher.
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a kind of bacteria that can trigger major infections in the respiratory system, urinary tract, and other parts of the body. It is a typical cause of hospital-acquired infections and is especially harmful for individuals with weakened immune systems. Klebsiella pneumoniae is resistant to numerous antibiotics, making it tough to deal with.
UNIGE scientists have actually discovered that a medication typically used to deal with herpes can fight an antibiotic-resistant bacterium by interrupting its defense reaction.
Antibiotic resistance, or the ability of bacteria to establish resistance to treatment with antibiotics, has ended up being a significant issue for global health. One example of an antibiotic-resistant pathogen is Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium frequently discovered in medical facilities and understood for its virulence.
Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have actually found that edoxudine, an anti-herpes molecule established in the 1960s, can interfere with the protective surface area of Klebsiella germs and make them more vulnerable to being gotten rid of by immune cells. The scientists findings were just recently released in the journal PLOS ONE..