Submitted via IRC for Bytram
Researchers find way to kill pathogen resistant to antibiotics
This bacterium is one of many that have evolved a system that allows them to acquire difficult-to-access iron from the human body. Iron is essential for bacterial growth and survival, but in humans, most of it is held up within the 'haem' complex of haemoglobin. To get hold of it, P. aeruginosa and other bacteria secrete a protein, called HasA, which latches onto haem in the blood. This complex is recognized by a membrane receptor on the bacterium called HasR, permitting haem entry into the bacterial cell, while HasA is recycled to pick up more haem.
Bioinorganic chemist Osami Shoji of Nagoya University and collaborators have found a way to hijack this 'haem acquisition system' for drug delivery. They developed a powder formed of HasA and the pigment gallium phthalocyanine (GaPc), which, when applied to a culture of P. aeruginosa, was consumed by the bacteria.
"When the pigment is exposed to near-infrared light, harmful reactive oxygen species are generated inside the bacterial cells," explains Shoji. When tested, over 99.99% of the bacteria were killed following treatment with one micromolar of HasA with GaPc and ten minutes of irradiation. The strategy also worked on other bacteria with the HasR receptor on their membranes, but not on ones without it.
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by Snotnose on Saturday September 21 2019, @12:20AM (2 children)
your mom is so toxic she killed those pathogens. Too bad we can't breed her in a lab.
/ where the hell did your mom jokes start?
// and why do I feel compelled to tell them?
/// vodak. I blame vodak. Even though I'm on my 1st glass of wine
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by Hartree on Saturday September 21 2019, @12:26AM (1 child)
"Even though I'm on my 1st glass of wine"
Yes, but how many shots of "vodak" did you have before that?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 21 2019, @01:40AM
I see no problem with mixing vodak or grain alcohol into wine. Call it self-fortified wine.