Blind the germs

Researchers suggest "blinding" superbugs that cause dangerous infections

Evgenia Efimova, Vesti, based on materials from UT Southwestern Medical Center: Study identifies a way to prevent burn injury infection – without antibiotics

The increase in the number of drug-resistant bacteria (or superbugs) is a serious threat to humanity. Also, in many hospitals around the world, doctors today record the appearance of a drug-resistant and, as a result, a deadly fungus.

UK researchers estimate that superbugs could kill up to 10 million people annually by 2050. In other words, one person will die from superbugs every three seconds.

According to experts, the groundless prescription of an excessive amount of antibiotics only reinforces this dangerous trend. Previously, WHO even recommended not to abuse these "fail-safe" drugs.

Now scientists are studying other ways to protect humans from infections, among which there is a new molecule. The latter essentially "blinds" the bacteria before they infect healthy cells and begin to multiply.

"Antibiotics are amazing drugs, and they have saved countless lives since their discovery more than 80 years ago," says lead author of the new study, Dr. Anne–Marie Krachler from the University of Texas Health Science Center.

But, according to her, there is a new way to fight drug-resistant bacteria. You can try to "blind" them, not kill them. Scientists note: the new method is aimed at reducing the virulence of bacteria (the possibility of infection of new cells and people).

The researchers found that "sticking inhibitory molecules" called Multivalent Adhesion Molecule 7 (MAM7) work well.

They work by preventing the activity of "sticky" molecules that some bacteria use to bind to host cells, resulting in infection.

Krahler and her colleagues conducted a study in which they tested the effectiveness of MAM7 in burn injuries. According to scientists, more than one million such injuries are registered annually in the USA alone, and 75 percent of deaths of burn patients are associated with infections (although in this case we are talking about extensive burns – 40% or more of the body surface). In this regard, specialists are trying to develop new ways to prevent the development of infection and help patients recover quickly.

The study was conducted on laboratory rats and focused on a particularly deadly pathogen – Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The latter is found in wounds in 33 percent of all burn cases and 59 percent in extensive burns.

It turned out that the use of MAM7 significantly reduces the bacterial content in wounds in the first 24 hours after application and stops the spread of infection to neighboring tissues within three days. In addition, the use of MAM7 helped to heal wounds and preserve an ordinary (not super-strong) inflammatory reaction to a burn.

"Instead of killing the bacteria, we blinded them, so that they could not find a place in which they usually attach themselves to the host cell," explains another author of the work, Dr. Steven Wolf (Steven Wol). "If bacteria can't communicate with cells, then they can't grow."

According to the researchers, MAM7 may also be useful in the treatment of surgical wounds. Soon, American scientists want to explore this possibility.

A study by Huebinger et al. Targeting bacterial adhesion inhibits multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection following burn injury is published in the scientific publication Scientific Reports.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  27.12.2016