The World Health Organization has warned about the looming danger of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics and now some Canadian researchers think they have found a possible solution.
Some bacteria have a protective shell
There are several bacteria that have hard shells that are a barrier to antibiotics. They may cause pneumonia, wound or blood infections and meningitis and can be life-threatening. Scientists at McMaster University have used a combination of an anti-fungal medicine called pentamidine and antibiotics to crack the hard shells of two of these bacteria and kill them.
It worked on mice. Now, they will have to research ways to offset possible side effects and to ensure the therapy is safe for humans. The researchers tested 1,440 drugs no longer restricted by patents to find one that might be effective. They will continue to look for more.
The study was published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
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