Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as EXPEC ST131, can colonize the intestine of a person without provoking diseases. However, they are able to infect other organs. So, they are associated with the infections of urinary tract, brain, peritoneum, peripheral organs, blood and internal devices, such as urinary catheters, nutrient tubes and wound drains.
Researchers from the Medical College of Beilora have identified a new strategy that eliminates bacteria before they cause infection. The method uses bacteriophages that can be located close to microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract - it facilitates the attack and the subsequent destruction of bacteria. Details of the work are published in the magazine MBIO.
The team found out that there is a compound in the intestines of mammals, which prevents the phages to destroy bacteria. It was identified as mucins - sticky proteins forming a layer between intestinal epithelocytes and a layer of microorganisms.
Then scientists checked human wastewater and animal feces for bacteriophages with unique properties that support the ability to destroy bacteria in the presence of mucins. So they found a new phage called ES17: it binds to mucins and therefore can destroy bacteria in the rich joint environments. Further studies have shown that ES17 is associated with certain molecules called heparasulfate, which can be found not only in mugs, but also on the surface of various types of cells, including epithelial.
This prompted researchers to find out whether the binding of heparasulfate with epithelial cells to help ES17 aim and destroy bacteria in the intestinal environment. Biologists checked the influence of the ES17 phage on its bacterial owner of Expec in the intestine of the mouse and compared with the influence of phages that are not able to infect the host in difficult conditions.
"We found that only ES17 has a unique ability to aim and eliminate bacteria on animal models," said Dr. Sabrina Green, the author of the work. Researchers suggest that bacteriophages are capable of doing this before microorganisms infect organs.
"We foresee that the positional targeting will be a way to work smart drugs in the future. Preparations will not be simply distributed throughout the body in the hope that the part will be in the right place. They will only be delivered to where they should work. Our work with the fagami is the first case when this was done "," Entoni Marso summed up, the collaborator of the study.
Source: Naked Science