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- Painful appearance: extreme bacteria synthesize new generation antibiotics
Painful appearance: extreme bacteria synthesize new generation antibiotics
Russian scientists are developing antibiotics based on a group of substances not previously used for this purpose. We are talking about compounds that microalgae bacteria produce in order to survive in extreme conditions. They can potentially solve the problem of microbial resistance to common drugs. Experts have isolated 12 compounds from microorganisms that can become the basis for a new generation of antibacterial drugs. The pathogens have not yet had time to adapt to them. According to experts, doctors are in great need of new means to combat Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other infectious agents. However, there is still a long way to go from the starting material to the pills on the pharmacy shelf.
New substances to fight infection
Extremophile bacteria can help scientists create a new generation of antibiotics. Specialists from Pskov State University and the Bioresource Center of the Institute of Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences are investigating the properties of substances that these bacteria secrete in order to survive in conditions deadly to most other living beings.
We are talking about cyanobacteria, blue-green algae that thrive normally at high temperatures, high salinity, acidic or alkaline environments. Scientists have screened their strains imported from various extreme habitats to identify the species with the strongest biological activity.
Since these compounds have not previously been used to fight infections, the drugs obtained with their help can be used to destroy pathogens resistant to other drugs.
— Many strains have shown interesting results in various activities — anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, neuroprotective. As the first candidate, we chose one of the strains of the genus desertifilium, B-1220 Desertifilium sp, which showed a good combination of different activities," said Andrei Frolov, Professor at Pskov State University.
The only disadvantage of this culture turned out to be that it has been gaining weight for quite a long time. In two months of cultivation, the scientists obtained 60 g of dry culture. Then an extract was made from it, from which 12 individual compounds with proven purity were isolated. In the near future, using nuclear spectroscopy, their structure will be definitively clarified, and then the spectrum of activity will be studied.
— Thus, we will find out which of the 12 "candidates" are the "authors" of this biological activity of the entire extract. We will select compounds that show high activity, and they will become the starting material for a potential new drug," said Andrey Frolov.
The biologically active structures are then optimized so that they can more easily penetrate human cells. In parallel, scientists will find out the mechanism of their action in order to make the future medicine the most effective.
— The main problem of the old generations of antibiotics is that pathogenic bacteria get used to them, resistance arises, and it is not possible to cope with the disease. Scientists are fighting resistance by creating complex treatment regimens that become unsafe, for example, for the liver. And our idea is to attract a completely new source of molecules from cyanobacteria," said Andrey Frolov.
According to the scientist, bacteria secrete active substances in order to maintain their vital functions, as well as to fight dangerous organisms. In addition to antibiotics, they can potentially be used as a means of destroying cancer cells or protecting neurons in neurodegenerative diseases.
Fight against resistant strains
The search for new sources of antibacterial drugs, as well as new substances, is now one of the most important areas of medical science, said Olga Butranova, Associate professor of the Department of General and Clinical Pharmacology at the RUDN University Medical Institute. This is due to the widespread spread of antibiotic resistance. According to WHO forecasts, by 2050, up to 10 million people will die each year as a result.
— Since the 2000s, there have been many attempts to find new chemical structures that could provide an antibacterial effect. Nevertheless, the number of new antibacterial drugs that have entered the market is very small. Most often, these are new representatives of well—known pharmacological groups, which does not solve the problem in principle," the specialist noted.
The cyanobacterium strain studied by the authors from Pskov has been little studied in world practice as a source of antibiotics, which makes the development of new drugs based on them very promising. The advantages of new antimicrobial drugs developed on the basis of substances isolated from cyanobacteria may be their activity against such significant infectious agents as E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the specialist added.
— There is an opinion that cyanobacteria are a treasure trove for the search for new antibiotics. And, quite likely, they will contribute to the fight against bacterial infections, as well as in other applications where antibiotics are used. However, there is still a lot to be done — to actually develop new drugs, test them accordingly, and establish the production of new antibiotics on an industrial scale. Only then will it be possible to talk about the success of the technology," said Stanislav Stragnov, Academic director of the MIPT Applied Data Analysis in the Medical Field educational program.
The search for new antibacterial agents is always relevant, the repertoire of possible antibiotics should be as wide as possible in order to cope with resistant bacteria. It is good if the resulting molecules turn out to be effective, said immunologist Mikhail Bolkov.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
