Every year many people get bacterial infections. Many of these are in the form abscesses that are difficult to treat. These could be painful and difficult to treat, but researchers have found a new weapon that could help in treating these infections.
According to the University of British Columbia, in-house researchers have found a peptide which could prevent bacteria from forming abscesses. These bacteria have become drug-resistant and could not easily be treated. They could also form abscesses, or pus-filled lesions which can be painful.
The peptide though has been found to disrupt the bacteria's stress response. Normal treatment for abscesses has been to cut the wound or else draining it, which can result in a longer recovery time. Antibiotics can be ineffective against such cases. The peptide used for the research is a synthetic peptide known as DJK-5.
The experiment was done on mice, and with it, researchers were able to observe that the peptide interferes with the bacteria while still in its stress-triggered growth state. The peptide has been used on two types of bacteria. These bacteria were the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as Science Daily reported.
"Our peptide offers a new strategy, because its mechanism is completely different from every known antibiotic," Bob Hancock, Professor from the Department of Microbiology at the University of British Columbia and senior author of the research said.
Hancock and his colleagues have already shown in an earlier study that peptides could be used to prevent bacteria to from on parts of the body. The new research shows that peptides could attack bacteria in a different way. While trials have been done on mice, clinical trials on humans would begin within a year.
Hancock has said that bacteria can best be attacked by the peptide while under stress. He also said that the peptide could work even better if used in conjunction with antibiotics. When used together, bacteria won't be able to adjust much as two agents are being used which have different effects, he added.
The flu season is near and iTechPost reports that flu shots have been improved.
