Scientists have come up with an unusual way to treat resistant bacterial infections

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics can be congenital (intrinsic) or acquired. Congenital (natural

) stability is characterized by the absence ofmicroorganisms targeted by the action of the antibiotic or the inaccessibility of the target due to initially low permeability or enzymatic inactivation. According to the UN, antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious threats to human health, food security and development today. Scientists are constantly looking for new ways to solve a problem, often using unconventional methods.

In the new method, scientists used bacteriophage viruses together with antibiotics already used in medicinal practice to treat resistant infections caused by Mycobacterium abscessus.

Mycobacterium abscessus, a relative of bacteria,causing tuberculosis and leprosy, are responsible for particularly severe damage to human lungs and can be resistant to many standard antibiotics, making infections difficult to treat. Not only are they dangerous, but they are also common soil and water contaminants. However, bacteria are vulnerable to naturally occurring viruses - bacteriophages: for each type of bacteria there is a unique virus that destroys it.

Earlier, American scientists identified onea bacteriophage known as "Muddy" that effectively kills bacteria in a petri dish. To avoid testing the virus in humans, the scientists used zebrafish. They are a model organism in developmental biology and are known in the English-language literature as zebrafish.

Having infected them with Mycobacterium abscessu, scientistsThe fish were observed for 12 days. Biologists discovered that the zebrafish developed a severe infection with abscesses and had a high mortality rate; only 20% of the animals survived.

The team then checked how wellthe infected fish recovered after administration of the antibacterial bacteriophage "Maddy" for five days. This time, the fish had much fewer severe infections, an increased chance of survival (40%), and there were fewer abscesses that the fish suffered during a severe infection.

Then scientists began to treat infected fish not only with the virus, but also with an antibiotic known as rifabutin. The survival rate of fish has risen sharply to 70%.

Ultimately, scientists hope that this method can be used to treat people as well.

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