Researchers at the University of British
Columbia have identified a small molecule that prevents
bacteria from forming into biofilms, a frequent cause of infections. The
anti-biofilm peptide works on a range of bacteria including many that cannot be
treated by antibiotics...
Hancock and his colleagues found that the peptide known as 1018 consisting of just 12 amino acids, the building blocks of protein
destroyed biofilms and prevented them from forming.
Bacteria are generally separated into two classes,
Gram-positives and Gram-negatives, and the differences in their cell wall
structures make them susceptible to different antibiotics. 1018 worked on both
classes of bacteria as well as several major antibiotic-resistant pathogens,
including Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, E.
coli and MRSA.
"Antibiotics are the most successful medicine on the
planet. The lack of effective antibiotics would lead to profound difficulties
with major surgeries, some chemotherapy treatments, transplants, and even minor
injuries," says Hancock. "Our strategy represents a significant
advance in the search for new agents that specifically target bacterial
biofilms."
