The Telethon Kids Institute is a charity.
Australian researchers have discovered a new form of antimicrobial resistance that can be detected using traditional laboratory testing methods.
Scientists are racing to understand and get ahead of the diminishing benefits of antibiotics in order to prevent 10 million deaths a year by the year 2020.
A team led by Dr. Timothy Barnett, head of the Strep A Pathogenesis and Diagnostics team at the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, has discovered a critical clue to the way somebacteria are.
In research published today in Nature Communications, the team revealed a new mechanism that allowsbacteria to take up food from their host and not be treated with antibiotics. The researchers were investigating the susceptibility of group A streptococcus to antibiotics when they discovered the discovery.
"Disease can be caused bybacteria making their own Folates to grow." Dr. Barnett explained that some antibiotics block the production of folate to stop the growth ofbacteria.
When looking at an antibiotic commonly prescribed to treat group A strep skin infections, we found a mechanism of resistance, where for the first time ever, thebacteria showed the ability to take folates directly from its human host when blocked from producing their own. When the patient should be getting better, this will make the antibiotic useless and the infections will likely get worse.
It's very hard for clinicians to prescribe antibiotics that will effectively treat the infection if they can't see the resistance under the microscope.
We have identified a mechanism in group A strep but it's likely it will be a broader issue across otherbacterial pathogens. Understanding AMR is much more complex than was thought.
If we can't find a way to combat antibiotic failure, it will cost the global economy $100 trillion, according to the World Health Organization. There will be no way to stop deadly infections, cancer patients won't be able to have chemotherapy and people won't have access to have life-saving surgeries without antibiotics.
To preserve the long-term efficacy of antibiotics, we need to further identify and understand new mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, which will aid in the discovery of new antibiotics and allow us to monitor AMR as it arises.
Testing methods to detect antibiotic resistance will be the focus of Kalindu's work.
It is important to have new diagnostic tools that can detect antibiotic resistance in a matter of minutes. The goal is to develop rapid point-of-care tests that can be used in remote settings.
We need to stay one step ahead of the challenges of AMR and continue to explore how resistance develops in pathogens. Equal efforts should be made at all levels of the society to help reduce the impacts of AMR.
There is Host- dependent resistance of Group A Streptococcus to sulfamethoxazole.
Journal information: Nature Communications
The Telethon Kids Institute provided the music.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
