SINGAPORE: Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have for the first time re-engineered a common bacterium to seek out and kill other dangerous bacteria, to target a superbug which is naturally resistant to a wide range of antibiotics.
The breakthrough could change the way medical treatment is currently done in hospitals, as it targets only harmful bacteria, unlike the existing broad-spectrum antibiotics which kill both good and bad bacteria.
In a media release on Wednesday, NTU said its scientists were able to modify a harmless strain of Escherichia coli - also known as E. coli - found naturally in the human digestive system, to target a superbug which causes infections such as upper respiratory tract infection, gastrointestinal tract infection and urinary tract infection.
The biochemically engineered E. coli, upon detection of the other bacterium, will generate "killing molecules", and then self-destruct to release these molecules to kill the superbug, while remaining harmless to the human body.
The results have generated interest in the biomedical industry, which is looking for ways to combat infection - one of the world's leading causes of death, said NTU.
The researchers, Assistant Professor Matthew Chang and Assistant Professor Poh Chueh Loo from NTU's School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, said the idea for the project came about after they observed that bacteria secrete toxins to kill other bacteria in their bid for survival under adverse competition.
They plan to refine the efficiency of the killing molecules and to find other possible targets, and expect to soon move into animal trials. - TODAY
Taken from ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:
NTU scientists achieve bacterium breakthrough
No comments:
Post a Comment