Researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens have discovered a previously unknown process used by many bacteria to survive and remain unaffected by current antibiotic treatments.
Their work may lead to new therapies for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and tuberculosis.
The researchers identified how bacteria uses an iron compound called heme — a fundamental component in hemoglobin, or the red pigment in blood, that transfers oxygen — to extract nutrients that help the bacteria grow within a host.
They also found an enzyme that only gram-positive bacteria have that is used to make heme, according to Harry Dailey, PhD, professor of microbiology and lead author of the study.
"One of the great things about this enzyme in terms of treatment is that it is only found in gram positive bacteria — it's not found anywhere else," said Dr. Dailey. "So if you target the enzyme with a therapeutic, you won't damage any of the other essential mechanisms that we need to remain healthy."
Using their new discoveries, researchers can find a way to disrupt the process the bacteria uses to extract nutrients and create a new generation of antibacterial drugs. Dr. Dailey's laboratory is partnered with other institutions to explore the development of new therapeutics based on the new findings.
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