In a new study on mice, scientists discovered that bacterial sugar can be used to neutralize dangerous antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as deadly superbugs, turned out to be not so invulnerable. Results from a new study conducted on mice showed that superbugs may have an 'Achilles' heel': a unique sugar molecule that is found only on the surface of bacterial cells, writes Focus.
The analysis results showed that targeting this molecule could make bacteria vulnerable to the immune system, which could then destroy the microbes and eliminate infections. The authors note that if targeting this sugar molecule can open a new approach to combating a wide range of superbugs, including well-known species such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Helicobacter pylori, and Campylobacter jejuni.
According to co-author of the study Ethan Goddard-Borger from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia, the next step in developing this concept is to create an antibody suitable for use in humans.
It should be noted that antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a critical threat worldwide, and Gram-negative bacteria are a particular problem. Bacteria in this group have robust protective layers that make them especially difficult to treat with many existing drugs. This group includes pathogens A. baumannii, H. pylori, and C. jejuni.
Researchers say these bacteria often use a 'sugar coat' to help them evade the immune system and resist the action of antibiotics. Essentially, the sugar coat mimics sugars present on human cells, tricking the immune system into ignoring the bacteria.
Previous studies have also shown that a sugar called pseudoaminosugar is found exclusively on the surface of bacterial cells and is significantly different from the sugars found on human cells. Moreover, theoretically, the discovery could also make Pse a safe way to combat antibiotic-resistant infections by helping to label bacteria as 'foreign' so that the immune system can attack them.
However, scientists warn that previous studies were limited by the difficulty of extracting sufficient amounts of sugar for effective study. Therefore, in the new study, they created Pse sugar molecules in the laboratory.
To do this, the researchers used specially designed molecules to develop specialized proteins that attach to them. These proteins, called monoclonal antibodies, act as a highly specific biological targeting system designed to detect Pse sugars.
Next, the team conducted a series of laboratory experiments in which they tested these antibodies against H. pylori, C. jejuni, and A. baumannii and found that they bind firmly to Pse on all these types of bacteria. Interestingly, the antibodies worked even when the sugars varied in structure among different bacteria.
In the next stage, the team tested the sugars on mice with antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii infections. The results indicate that labeling Pse with antibodies makes infections visible to the immune system, allowing immune cells to find, engulf, and destroy the bacteria. For example, in one experiment, 10 mice that did not receive antibodies died from the infection within a day. In contrast, the mice that received antibodies had a 100% survival rate over a whole week of observation.
Scientists believe that in the future, these antibodies could be administered to vulnerable hospital patients to prevent infections. However, further research will be needed to adapt the antibodies for potential use in humans.
