A potential new treatment combining natural manuka honey with a widely used drug has been developed to treat a potentially lethal lung infection and greatly reduce side effects of one of the current drugs used for its treatment.
The findings show that the scientists in the Mycobacterial Research Group in the College of Health and Life Sciences were able to combine manuka honey and the drug amikacin in a lab-based nebulization formula to treat a disease.
It has been known for a long time that moo honey has a wide range of health benefits. Scientists have found that manuka honey has the ability to kill a number of drug resistant infections.
There are more than 100,000 people with the condition worldwide and one in every 2,500 babies in the UK is affected by it. A build-up of excess mucus in the lungs can be a sign of bronchiectasis, which is a long-term condition where the airways of the lungs are widened.
The researchers used samples from 16 patients who had been diagnosed with the disease. The antibiotic amikacin was combined with manuka honey to find the right amount to kill thebacteria.
A lab-based lung model and nebulizer were used in the study. It was found that by nebulizing manuka honey and amikacin together, they could improve the clearance ofbacteria, even when using lower levels of amikacin, which would result in less life changing side-effects to the patient.
Of the 10,800 people living with the condition in the UK, 12% are affected by the disease. The new approach has the potential to kill off a highly drug resistant infection, but it also has the benefits of reduced side effects and improved survival chances for patients.
The same bug that causes Tuberculosis can cause serious lung infections in people with pre-existing lung conditions, as well as cause skin and soft tissue infections. Thebacteria is resistant to many drugs.
Patients are currently given a cocktail of antibiotics, consisting of 12 months or more of antimicrobial chemotherapy, and this treatment often doesn't result in a cure. The maximum amount of amikacin a patient can be given is 16 micrograms per liter. A one-eighth reduction in the drug's dosage was achieved by the combination of manuka honey and amikacin.
It has been difficult to eradicate the disease in people with the disease. If the patient needs a lung transplant, they aren't eligible for surgery if the infection is present.
The lead author of the study said that the treatment of the infections can be difficult due to their drug resistance. Severe side effects result from the variety of antibiotics used to fight infections.
Combining amikacin and manuka honey shows promise as an improved therapy for lung infections.
In the future, we hope that this potential treatment can be tested further, because there is a need for better treatment outcomes.
Dr. Cox said, "We have found a way to potentially kill off thesebacteria by combining a totally natural ingredient such as manuka honey with amikacin, one of the most important yet toxic drugs used for treating the disease." It has the potential to improve the quality of life for many patients, including those with cystic fibrosis.
The results of this research paves the way for future experiments and we hope that with funding we can move towards clinical trials that could result in a change in strategy for the treatment of this disease.
The microbiology society is proud to support the scientific community as it explores innovative solutions to overcome the growing global challenge of antimicrobial resistance One of the ways in which microbiologists are trying to tackle drug-resistant infections is by incorporating natural products into existing therapies.
More information: Victoria C. Nolan et al, In vitro synergy between manuka honey and amikacin against Mycobacterium abscessus complex shows potential for nebulisation therapy, Microbiology (2022). DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001237
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