Scientists hope that nanonetworks will be the key to defeating antibiotic-resistant superbugs that cause incurable versions of conventional diseases.
Bacteria are rapidly developing resistance to our best antibiotics, potentially ushering in a new “dark age of medicine” where currently curable infections become deadly again. Now, scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed self-assembling “nanonets” that can trap and kill bacteria.
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The emerging problem of superbugs is a microcosm of evolution. Essentially, environmental pressures, such as the killing power of antibiotics, leave behind only those bacteria that are naturally resistant to the drugs. As these individuals grow and spread, eventually the entire population acquires this trait, rendering the drug ineffective. This process is repeated for decades with successive generations of antibiotics, but we have less and less ability to create new drugs.
Along with the development of new drugs, scientists are experimenting with alternative methods of fighting bacteria, ideally ones to which they cannot develop resistance. These include lighting, coatings, molecular drills, poison arrows, and liquid metal grinders. And these are just a few of the superbug-fighting prototype concepts being developed by scientists in a race to the bottom with a recalcitrant killer.
Now NUS researchers are adding new weapons to this arsenal. They have developed nanonetworks that can self-assemble in the presence of certain bacteria, trapping them and making them more vulnerable to antimicrobial molecules.
The team has developed a series of short peptides, consisting of 15-16 residues, that can be dormant until they find a specific trigger – two molecules that are key components of bacterial membranes. When these molecules appear, the peptide fragments attach to bacteria and begin to grow into elongated fibrils, which then cross-link with fibrils attached to other bacteria. Soon a large, tangled tangle is formed that holds the bacteria. This, in turn, prevents them from growing and spreading. The tangle can also be paired with other antimicrobial molecules to do away with them.
In tests on mice, nanonets have shown significant efficacy against bacteria resistant to colistin, one of the last resort antibiotics in medicine. Importantly, they showed no signs of toxicity in mice.
These nanonetworks are not only naturally selective for superbugs, but the peptides that make up them can be tuned to different bacteria. The team says the technique shows great promise as a potential alternative to antibiotic therapy, but of course, further work needs to be done.
Previously, Focus wrote about a new superbug named after Keanu Reeves. However, the actor believes that an extremely effective bacterium should be named after his character John Wick.
