Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a growing threat, with an estimated 2 million lives lost each year by 2050. However, US and Spanish researchers have made a breakthrough discovery that could change the game. By studying antibiotic-resistant bacteria, they found a weakness in their defenses – one that can be exploited to fight infection without using drugs or harmful chemicals.
The researchers, led by molecular biologist Gürol Süel from the University of California, San Diego, discovered that certain bacteria’s resistance comes with a cost. Specifically, when levels of magnesium are low, these resistant bacteria struggle to survive. This is because the ions in magnesium are essential for cellular processes, including protein production and energy generation.
In one type of bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, a mutated version of the ribosome – the micro machine that creates proteins – protects the strain from antibiotics but also tightly binds to magnesium ions, leaving less available for ATP production. This limits the mutant strain’s ability to grow and spread, making it less fit than its unmutated counterpart.
The study suggests that by depriving environments of magnesium, we can suppress the establishment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria without resorting to drugs or chemicals. The researchers hope that this discovery will help identify conditions that hinder antibiotic-resistant strains, paving the way for new ways to combat these threats.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/achilles-heel-of-drug-resistant-bacteria-has-been-found-scientists-say