Researchers 'reverse' antibiotic resistance
6 May 2015
A team of researchers at the American University and the University of California, Merced has discovered a method for returning bacteria to a pre-resistant state.
The findings could have major implications for doctors attempting to keep patient infections at bay using a process of ’antibiotic cycling’ - in which a handful of different antibiotics are used on a rotating basis, the researchers said.
“Doctors don’t take an ordered approach when they rotate antibiotics,” said Miriam Barlow, a biologist at the University of California, Merced, who, alongside mathematician Kristina Crona of American University, made the discovery.
“This work shows that there is still hope for antibiotics if we use them intelligently
Professor Miriam Barlow
“The doctors would benefit from a system of rotation that is proven. Our goal was to find a precise, ordered schedule of antibiotics that doctors could rely on and know that in the end, resistance will be reversed, and an antibiotic will work,” Barlow said.
The research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, shows how to rewind the evolution of bacteria and verify treatment options for a family of 15 antibiotics used to fight common infections, including penicillin.
Resistance to antibiotics is a natural part of the evolution of bacteria and unavoidable given the many types of bacteria and the susceptibility of the human host.
To combat this and advance human understanding of resistance, the research team combined lab work with mathematics and computer technology.
“Scientists now have lots and lots of data, but they need to make sense of it. Mathematics helps one to draw interpretations, find patterns and give insight into medical applications,” Crona said.
For example, to discover optimal antibiotic cycling strategies, the researchers tested up to six drugs in rotation at a time and found optimal plans for reversing the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria.
“This shows antibiotics cycling works. As a medical application, physicians can take a more strategic approach,” Crona said.
“Uncovering optimal plans in antibiotics cycling presents a mathematical challenge. Mathematicians will need to create algorithms that can deliver optimal plans for a greater amount of antibiotics and bacteria,” she added.
Looking ahead, the researchers want to test the treatment paths in a clinical setting, working with doctors to rotate antibiotics to maximise their efficacy.
“This work shows that there is still hope for antibiotics if we use them intelligently,” Barlow said.
“More research in this area and more research funding would make it possible to explore the options more comprehensively.”
Elsewhere, in July last year the UK government announced plans to tackle antimicrobial resistance by uniting a variety of UK research councils.
In that instance, the Medical Research Council (MRC) will lead a multi-council initiative that coordinates with medical researchers, biologists, engineers and social scientists to address the issue of resistance to antimicrobials on a global scale.
