"After a six-year quest, researchers from the University of Basel and ETH Zurich in Switzerland have uncovered a potential weapon in the battle against superbugs: viruses that target and kill dangerous bacteria during their dormant state.
Bacteria enter this dormant mode when facing low nutrient levels or various stress factors, a self-protective measure that hinders their ability to spread or grow. However, this dormant state also shields them from threats like viruses or antibiotics.
Despite spending a considerable amount of time in this inactive state, efforts to discover a bacteriophage capable of eradicating hibernating bacteria had been fruitless. Microbiologist Alexander Harms remained optimistic, given the vast number of bacteriophages, believing that evolution must have produced some with the ability to penetrate dormant bacteria.
This optimism proved justified as Harms and his team identified a previously unknown phage, named Paride, found on decaying plant material in a Swiss cemetery. Parade demonstrated effectiveness against the common bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, prevalent in environments such as hospitals and known to cause severe respiratory diseases, including potentially fatal pneumonia.
Significantly, when Paride was combined with the antibiotic meropenem, it successfully eliminated 99 percent of P. aeruginosa in lab tests. Experiments on mice also showed the phage and antibiotic's effectiveness in destroying bacteria, albeit only when used in combination.
Microbiologist Enea Maffei emphasizes that this discovery extends beyond the laboratory, suggesting clinical relevance. With bacterial infections increasingly resistant to existing drugs, utilizing viruses to combat bugs in their self-protective state could represent a substantial breakthrough.
While the precise mechanism is not fully understood, it appears that the virus may employ a molecular key to deceive P. aeruginosa, unlocking its defenses and allowing the antibiotic to take effect.
Interest in using phages to combat drug-resistant bacteria is growing, and the discovery of Paride, effective during a bacteria's dormant stage, marks a promising step forward. However, considerable study and effort lie ahead.
"We're just at the beginning," notes Harms. "The one thing we know for sure is that we know almost nothing.
Related Queries:
homeworkify
biology
bacteria
taxonomy
fungi
pathogen
eukaryotic
heterotroph
binary fission
flagella
genetic engineering
binomial nomenclature
viruses
prokaryote
pathogens
communicable disease
pathogen definition
protist
parasite definition
vector definition
bacteria definition
are viruses living
virus definition
what is a pathogen
what is a virus