We know that infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA are especially difficult to get rid of because the bacteria can attach to surfaces and then create biofilms, sticky layers of cells that act as a shield and prevent antibiotics from destroying the bacteria underneath. While a limited number of existing antibiotics may destroy part of the biofilm, enough bacteria survive to create a recurring infection as soon as antibiotic therapy stops, and over time the surviving bacteria build resistance to that antibiotic. Though I have covered some recent developments in the MRSA field, the following findings are really interesting for me...
Now researchers lead by Dr. Christian Melander, from North Carolina State University have found that, 2-aminoimidazole/triazole conjugate will re-sensitize multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria to the effects of conventional antibiotics (including MRSA and multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii), apart from the synergistic effect between the conjugate and antibiotics toward dispersing pre-established biofilms.
Melander and his team, in collaboration with NC State biochemist John Cavanagh, found that pre-treating the bacteria with their compound and then introducing the antibiotic penicillin one hour later increased the penicillin's effectiveness 128-fold, even when the bacteria was penicillin resistant. The antibiotics also provided a 1,000-fold enhancement to the ability of the 2-aminoimidazole to disperse biofilms.
Researchers conclude that, compound cooperates with conventional antibiotics, overcoming an infectious threat that would otherwise persist if treated with either agent individually.....
Ref : http://aac.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/AAC.01418-09v1