Researchers at UNC School of Medicine identified a small molecule that might be key to antibiotic treatment failure.
Some pathogens, like Staphylococcus aureus, can “infect and hide within our own immune cells, making it incredibly difficult for antibiotics to reach and eliminate them.” The small molecule in question “alters the body’s immune cells, forcing them to ‘wake up’ dormant bacteria within and make them more vulnerable to antibiotic treatment.” The introduction of this molecule was “effective at helping antibiotics better eliminate the bacteria responsible for staph, tuberculosis, and salmonella infections.”
Researchers “screened 5,000 small molecules to see which ones were most apt at activating and killing dormant bacteria.” They then “exposed each compound to immune cells infected with staph bacteria. To see which compounds were most effective, researchers used modified luminescent staph bacteria that glow a bright color when activated or ‘awakened.’” One compound ended up standing out.
Introducing the compound in mouse models in tandem with antibiotics “showed significant improvement in antibiotic performance against Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria that hide within immune cells.” The researchers are now “focused on pinpointing exactly how the molecule interacts with immune pathways, patenting the molecule for pharmacological use, and determining whether similar strategies could help enhance treatment for other hard-to-treat bacterial infections.”
