2023-11-02 16:32:56
Nasty names, even nastier effects: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa – all tiny bacteria, sometimes with devastating consequences.
They all belong to the group of resistant germs – bacteria against which antibiotics are often not effective. In the worst case, they spread uncontrollably and cannot be stopped.
Scientists from the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), the University Hospital Cologne, the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig and the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) have now discovered a way to eliminate these germs.
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The approach: antibody therapy
The German research team has identified an antibody that is effective against the resistant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The dangerous bacteria can lead to serious lung infections and blood poisoning, especially in weakened patients.
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The antibody comes from immune cells from cystic fibrosis patients who are chronically infected with the germ. He was able to block the pathogenic effects of the bacterium in cell cultures and animal models.
The goal now is to further develop the antibody and test it in clinical studies. The hope is that the approach will also work against other bacteria.
Resistant germs as a global threat
The World Health Organization (WHO) calls antibiotic-resistant bacteria a “global threat.”
An estimated 1.3 million people die every year because antibiotics have lost their effectiveness on certain germs. In Germany, around 9,700 deaths every year can be attributed to antibiotic resistance.
Resistance is a natural phenomenon – it exists everywhere in the world. However, the excessive and incorrect use of antibiotics in people, animals and plants makes the problem massively worse.
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