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Combatting multidrug-resistant bacteria, especially those that infect the airways, is a complex challenge. For that reason, some scientists have explored the possibility of weakening the bacteria to enhance the effectiveness of available therapeutic substances.
A recent article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reveals that photodynamic inactivation (PDI) offers a novel method of altering bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics. PDI reduces resistance and persistence of both standard and clinical strains, showing promise for antimicrobial treatments.
Lead author Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato, a physicist and materials engineer at the University of São Paulo’s São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC-USP) in Brazil, has conducted a study focusing on Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium is known to cause a variety of diseases, from skin infections to pneumonia. The study explored the effects of photodynamic action on resistant bacteria obtained from patients, as well as bacterial cells with laboratory-induced resistance. The findings revealed that five cycles of PDI were enough to break their resistance.
Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) utilizes a dye known as a photosensitizer, which is energized by absorbing visible light. This process forms reactive oxygen species that can oxidize and destroy microorganisms, or weaken their antibiotic resistance.
The researchers used 10 μM curcumin as the photosensitizer and worked with three antibiotics—amoxicillin, erythromycin, and gentamicin. After five cycles of PDI, the bacterium S. aureus was most susceptible to gentamicin. The other two antibiotics proved effective against the bacteria after PDI as well.
According to Bagnato, “We discovered that PDI doesn’t always destroy the bacteria, but it does destroy part of the mechanisms they use to become drug-resistant. This led to the idea of trying an oxidative shock to make them susceptible to antibiotics.” The first author of the article, Jennifer Soares, is a researcher at IFSC-USP and CePOF.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the top 10 global public health threats. Each year, AMR causes an estimated 1.2 million deaths directly, and almost 5 million indirectly. Estimates suggest that AMR could cost the global economy USD 100 trillion by 2050 if no action is taken.
Addressing AMR is of utmost importance, as it is linked to health care-associated infections (HAI). According to a report by the WHO, out of every 100 patients in acute-care hospitals, seven in high-income countries and 15 in low- and middle-income countries will acquire at least one HAI during their hospital stay. To read more about this study, click here.