Engineered Antimicrobial Peptides Developed To Kill Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

With antibiotic resistant bacteria becoming prevalent, reaching high levels, scientists are studying ways to counteract and address this serious problem. Using the drug resistant bacteria that causes Tuberculosis, researchers are testing a new therapy using antimicrobial peptides to overcome this. This research was presented at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The TB bacteria is slowly coming up with resistant strains that pose a real serious health risk. Scientists have developed a new way to destroy these organisms and similar ones that have built a resistance to antibiotics; drilling.

Using protein engineered antimicrobial peptides (AMP), the outer membrane of bacterial organisms are broken down removing its structural support and protection mechanism. Just like drill bits, the AMPs drill into the thick walls of the cells killing the bacteria. Using three synthesised strains of AMP, lab tests show that all three of these antimicrobial peptides were successful in killing the Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. smegmatis bacteria .

This is just the first generation of AMPs produced and scientists are also studying another class of AMPs, picidin a and 3, to improve and expand its arsenal against this deadly trend.

Nanotechnology and Lasers Provide Tool for Antibiotic Research - The Cantilever Sensory Array

This is a visualization of cantilever sensory array technology. Bacteria are shown in red and white, and antibiotics are shown in blue. The laser deflection illustrates how cantilever bending is measured.
Credit: JoVE

The London Center for Nanotechnology has developed a tool to measure antibiotic drug resistance using nanotechnology and lasers. The Cantilever Sensory Array uses lasers to measure the cellular stress levels of a bacteria's cell wall when antibiotics are exposed to it. This will provide researchers insight on how effective the antibiotic works on the bacteria in real time.

Antibiotic resistance is a type of drug resistance where bacteria (or some other micro-organism) are able to survive and counteract the effect of an antibiotic.

This tool can help in dealing with microorganisms that have a high resistance for antibiotics such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which is known for being resistant to antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of skin infections, respiratory disease, and food poisoning. S. aureus is a surface bacteria and can survive for months depending on the strain.

By using the Cantilever Sensory Array, hospitals can track in real time how drug candidates interact with a target microorganism. This will help in diagnosing and treating infections and diseases faster and more effectively.

Combined Therapy of Epiduo Gel and Doxycycline Provides Powerful Treatment for Acne

Each pore on the surface of the skin is an opening to a canal called a follicle. The follicle also contains a hair and an oil gland (sebaceous gland). The oil gland helps remove old skin cells, keeps the skin lubricated, and prevents drying of tissues.

According to two published studies, a combined therapy of common acne medications have shown to be a powerful and potent regiment in the treatment of sever facial acne.

Acne is a skin condition that causes pimples or "zits." These are spots that results from excess oil getting trapped in the skin pores which results in blockages, infection and build up of bacteria.

It is the most common skin disease. It affects 80% of teenagers and many adults, especially women, 35% being between the ages of 30 and 40. 80% of professional consultations with dermatologists is about acne. While it isn't a life threatening disease, acne can have profound psychological effects on patients, says study co-author and dermatologist Linda Stein Gold, M.D., director of Clinical Research of Dermatology at Henry Ford.

The studies found that a combined therapy of the topical Epiduo Gel containing adapalene and benzoyl peroxide and the antibiotic doxycycline proved more effective at reducing acne lesions compared to other treatment regimens.