Resistance Bacteria develop new mechanisms against antibiotic treatments

Bacteria go to sleep and then progress rapidly
The generally increasing antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem. In all parts of the world, this resistance of bacterial strains has increased to a dangerously high level. Researchers have now discovered that new resistance mechanisms are occurring worldwide. These threaten our ability to treat infectious diseases.

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found in an investigation that emerging mechanisms enhance resistance to antibiotics. This effect has already been observed worldwide. The physicians published the results in the internationally recognized scientific journal "Science".

Bacterial strains can become a significant threat to human health. Experts discovered an effect that allows bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment and later develop resistance to the drug. (Image: Dr_Kateryna / fotolia.com)

Bacteria go into a kind of state of rest
So far, we do not really understand these bacterial resistance mechanisms. "We do not know how they occur and whether it is possible to predict their evolution," explain the experts. Researchers have found a way for bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment. A kind of timer causes them to rest for the duration of the treatment, but the antibiotic kills them when they stop their dormancy. Therefore, it is a simple but effective solution to continue the antibiotic treatment for a longer duration, explain the authors.

Certain effect makes bacteria develop 20 times faster
In the current study, the scientists reported on an alternative way in which the evolution of bacterial resistance progresses. After the development of a so-called Dormancy mechanism, bacteria can develop about 20 times faster than usual. From this point on, antibiotics administered can no longer kill the bacteria.

Physicians give bacterial populations daily doses of antibiotics
To further investigate this evolutionary process, the researchers exposed several bacterial populations to a daily dose of antibiotics under controlled laboratory conditions until resistance became established.

Hibernation of bacteria protects them from antibiotics
By monitoring these bacteria during the evolutionary process, the scientists found that the deadly antibiotic dosage creates bacteria that can temporarily rest and thereby be protected from various types of antibiotics. Once the bacteria have developed the ability to hibernate (also called tolerance), they quickly start with a mutation. This led to resistance to antibiotic treatment, explain the experts.

Tolerance plays an important role in the development of resistance
So the bacteria first developed the so-called sleep state. Not only did this sleep mode temporarily protect her from the deadly effects of the drug, but she was also a stepping stone to the development of later resistance factors. The results show that tolerance can play a crucial role in the development of resistance in bacterial populations under cyclic pressures with high levels of antibiotics, the researchers explain.

Research important for development of new antibiotics
These results of the study could have important implications for the development of new antibiotics. Drugs that delay the evolution of resistance could help control tolerant bacteria, the researchers concluded. (As)