INVISIBLE to the naked eye, bacteria are constantly evolving in their quest for survival.
Over the years, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics have inadvertently fuelled the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as 'superbugs'.
These superbugs are equipped with ingenious defence mechanisms, like forming castles of slime called biofilms, in which bacterial communities are well protected against attacks from antibiotics and the immune system.
In 2019, globally 1.27 million people died from antibiotic-resistant infections.
However, scientists are not backing down. They are arming themselves with cutting-edge treatment strategies and harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to combat this growing threat.
And there is global recognition of the importance of this work. In August 2023, G20 health ministers, meeting ahead of the main leaders summit in September, committed to a comprehensive strategy to continue the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
Imagine antibiotics as soldiers fighting bacteria on the battlefield.
Over time, some bacteria manage to survive the attack, passing on their resistance to their descendants.
This process, accelerated by the misuse of antibiotics in medicine, agriculture and livestock, has led to the emergence of superbugs that can resist multiple antibiotics, rendering once-effective treatments useless.
Adding to this challenge is the formation of biofilms.
By default, bacteria like to stick together and build walls of slime around them. Within this 'slime castle', bacteria are extremely well protected against any enemy.
This makes bacteria in biofilms up to 1,000 times stronger in withstanding attacks from antibiotics or the immune system compared with single bacteria.
The close neighbourhood of bacteria enables them to 'chat' to each other, streamline defences and exchange information on how to become resistant to antibiotics.
Biofilms are involved in 80 percent of infections in the human body — such as surgical site infections, non-healing wounds and implant infections — that are extremely difficult to treat.
The scientific community recognises the urgent need for new approaches to tackle antibiotic resistance and biofilms, particularly as no new classes of antibiotics have been discovered since the 1980s.
Researchers are exploring various strategies, some of which hold promising potential:
Bacteriophages
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and kill specific bacteria. They can be engineered to target antibiotic-resistant bacteria without harming beneficial ones. Scientists are creating effective 'phage cocktails' that can tackle a range of bacterial infections.
Antimicrobial peptides and antibodies
The human immune system produces molecules known as antimicrobial peptides and antibodies to fight infections. Researchers are exploring the potential of these natural defenders as therapies. Antimicrobial peptides can directly target bacteria, while antibodies can tag bacteria for destruction by immune cells, enhancing the body's ability to clear infections.
Cold plasma medicine
Cold plasma, a state of matter containing energetic ions, free electrons, and reactive particles, is being investigated for its antimicrobial properties. Cold plasma can inactivate bacteria by damaging their outer membranes, disrupting their cellular processes. This emerging field, known as 'cold plasma medicine', could offer an antibiotic-free and non-invasive approach to treating infections.
Antibiotic enhancers
Researchers are investigating strategies, such as small molecules (which are small enough to move through the biofilm slime and reach the bacteria inside), nanomedicine or oxygen therapy, that can weaken bacterial defences, making them vulnerable to antibiotics again. By disrupting the bacteria's ability to resist antibiotics, enhancers could give a second life to existing treatments.
Quorum sensing inhibitors
Bacteria communicate through chemical signals in a process called quorum sensing. This communication allows bacteria to coordinate their actions, including the formation of biofilms. Quorum sensing inhibitors are designed to disrupt this communication, preventing biofilm formation and making bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics and the immune system.
Biofilm disruptors
These agents target the structural integrity of biofilms, breaking them apart and exposing the bacteria within to antibiotics. By dismantling the protective slime walls of biofilms, disruptors, such as enzymes, nitric oxide therapy, essential oils, or gallium-based medicine (which looks like food to bacteria, but is actually toxic to them), allow antibiotics to reach and eliminate bacterial colonies more effectively.
CRISPR-Cas technology
Known for its gene-editing capabilities, CRISPR-Cas technology could be used to target and disable antibiotic resistance genes within bacteria, potentially restoring their susceptibility to antibiotics.
While these innovative strategies show promise, their development and optimisation require substantial research and experimentation. This is where artificial intelligence steps in.
AI algorithms can analyse vast databases of molecular information to identify potential compounds with antibacterial properties.
By simulating interactions between drugs and bacteria, AI accelerates the drug discovery process, helping scientists uncover novel treatment options more efficiently.
Additionally, AI-driven models can simulate the behaviour of biofilms and bacterial colonies, aiding researchers in designing strategies to disrupt these communities effectively.
This computational approach provides valuable insights that guide the development of treatments that can prevent persistent infections.
The race against superbugs is a race against time.
The collaborative efforts of researchers worldwide, combined with innovative treatment strategies and AI-powered insights, provide hope for a brighter future.
While science is delivering potential new treatments, responsible antibiotic use is a key part of ensuring existing treatments remain effective.
That means doctors and their patients have a role to play in ensuring only the necessary use of antibiotics, while the agricultural and food sectors also need to limit antibiotic use in livestock.
Research funding is critical, so policymakers too have a critical part in the fight.
* Dr Katharina Richter is a biomedical researcher and science communicator at the University of Adelaide. Her research focuses on developing effective treatments against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and translating them from the lab to real-life applications, and improving the health literacy of society through effective science communication.
* Dr Richter's research has been funded by the University of Adelaide, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund, The Hospital Research Foundation Group, and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
360info
Sat Sep 09 2023
Bacteria that live in biofilm 'slime castles' are 1,000 times harder to treat with antibiotics. - Animate Your Science/via 360info
Tindakan Ramasamy ajak pengundi KKB tolak PH hanya bersifat dendam - Loke
Tindakan Ramasamy yang meminta pengundi terutama masyarakat India supaya tidak mengundi calon PH hanyalah bertujuan untuk membalas dendam kepada DAP dan PH.
Jambatan Bailey di Jalan Kuantan-Segamat dibuka semula hari ini
Jambatan Bailey di Seksyen 102 Jalan Kuantan-Segamat yang ditutup sebelum ini untuk kerja-kerja pembaikan dibuka semula bermula 4 petang tadi.
Pentadbiran AS 'tekad' capai gencatan senjata antara Israel, Hamas - Blinken
Setiausaha Negara Amerika Syarikat (AS) Antony Blinken pada Rabu berkata pentadbiran Amerika Syarikat (AS) "bertekad" untuk mencapai perjanjian gencatan senjata antara Israel dan kumpulan Hamas.
Johor perlu pacu automasi, guna teknologi dan gaji lebih tinggi - Liew
Johor mesti memacu kadar automasi, penggunaan teknologi baharu serta gaji yang lebih tinggi secara menyeluruh untuk memanfaatkan Zon Ekonomi Khas Johor-Singapura (JS-SEZ)
AWANI Ringkas: Kebocoran gas | Tuntutan palsu
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Isu Palestin: PM Anwar pilih pertahan prinsip berbanding takut pelaburan terjejas
Anwar mengakui usaha menarik dan merealisasikan pelaburan bernilai tinggi masuk ke negara ini bukan sesuatu yang mudah, apatah lagi ia sesuatu yang amat penting bagi meningkatkan ekonomi negara.
Tumpuan Khamis - 02 Mei 2024
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan di Astro AWANI.
PM Singapura mahu warga bersatu, kekalkan kestabilan politik dalam ucapan terakhir
Perdana Menteri Singapura Lee Hsien Loong menyeru rakyat Singapura supaya terus bersatu padu dan mengekalkan kestabilan politik bagi hala tuju Singapura ke hadapan.
Mei Xing hampa gagal sumbang mata buat Malaysia
Mei Xing tidak dapat menyembunyikan kesedihannya selepas gagal menyumbang mata kedua buat pasukan Malaysia ketika menentang Australia.
Profil Malaysia semakin meningkat di mata dunia - PM Anwar
Bukan ingin mendabik dada atau bersikap sombong, tetapi Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim melihat profil Malaysia kembali meningkat dan dihormati di mata dunia.