New way to make bacteria more sensitive to antibiotics | MIT News

Researchers at Singapore MIT Research and Technology Alliance (smart), a Singapore-based research company at MIT has discovered a new way to reverse the antibiotic resistance of some bacteria using hydrogen sulfide (H)₂S).

Increased antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to the world, with an estimated 10 million deaths each year by 2050 if no action is taken. The World Health Organization has also warned that by 2030, drug-resistant diseases could drive up to 24 million people to extreme poverty and cause devastating damage to the world economy.

In most bacteria studied, endogenous H production₂Since S has been shown to cause antibiotic resistance, H₂S is speculated as a universal defense mechanism of bacteria against antibiotics.

A team at SMART’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) tested that theory by adding H₂S-releasing compound Acinetobacter baumannii — Pathogen that does not produce H₂S itself. They do not cause antibiotic resistance but rather exogenous H₂S sensitized A. Bowmany For multiple antibiotic classes. I was even able to reverse the resistance I got A. Bowmany Gentamicin, a very common antibiotic used to treat some types of infections.

Their findings, supported by a young researcher grant from the Singapore National Medical Research Council, published in the prestigious journal “Hydrogen Sulfide Sensitizes Acinetobacter baumannii Against Antibiotic Killing”. Is discussed in a paper titled The frontier of microbiology.

“Hydrogen sulfide was previously regarded as a universal bacterial defense against antibiotics,” says Wilfried Moreira, the lead author and lead investigator of SMART’s AMR IRG paper. “This is the first thing we did₂In fact, S can also increase sensitivity to antibiotics and reverse the antibiotic resistance of bacteria that do not naturally produce drugs. “

Although the study focused on the effects of exogenous H₂above A. Bowmany, Scientists believe the results are mimicked by all bacteria that do not naturally produce H₂S

“Acinetobacter baumannii Say Yong Ng, the first author of SMART AMR papers and lab technicians, said: “Our research could discover deadly bacteria and ways to make those bacteria more sensitive to antibiotics, providing breakthroughs in the treatment of many drug-resistant infections.” I can do it.”

The team will conduct further research to validate these exciting findings in preclinical models of infection and extend them to other H-producing bacteria.₂S

SMART was founded in 2007 by MIT in collaboration with the Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF). SMART is the first entity of Campus for Research Excellence and Technology Enterprise (CREATE) developed by NRF. SMART acts as an intelligent and innovative hub for research interaction between MIT and Singapore. Cutting-edge research projects in areas of interest to both Singapore and MIT are conducted at SMART. SMART currently consists of an Innovation Center and 5 IRGs. AMR, critical analytics for personalized medicine, disruptive and sustainable technologies that enhance agricultural precision, future urban mobility, and low-energy electronic systems. SMART research is funded by the NRF under the CREATE program.

of AMR IRG A translational research and entrepreneurship program addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. By leveraging talent and converging technology across Singapore and MIT, we are heading into AMR by developing multiple innovative and disruptive approaches to identify, respond to and treat drug resistant microbial infections.