Scientists develop promising therapy against hospital superbugs
A new global investigation, with the crucial participation of scientists from USP in São Carlos, reveals a potential advance in the fight against bacterial resistance. Combining photodynamic therapy with antibiotics could boost the effectiveness of current treatments.
Antimicrobial resistance is recognized as one of the biggest global health concerns of the 21st century. As warned by the World Health Organization (WHO), this phenomenon calls into question the effectiveness of medicines that have saved countless lives and threatens the safety of daily hospital procedures.
In this challenging scenario, research published in the prestigious scientific journal Pharmaceutics demonstrates encouraging results. The focus of the study is the bacterium *Klebsiella pneumoniae*, one of the most dangerous microorganisms present in healthcare environments.
*Klebsiella pneumoniae* is known to cause serious infections such as pneumonia, urinary problems and septicemia, especially in hospitalized patients. A worrying factor is the resistance of many of its strains to various antibiotics, which severely limits therapeutic options and, in hospital outbreaks, can significantly increase the mortality rate.
Hospital environments are particularly susceptible to the proliferation of these bacteria due to the constant use of antibiotics, which favors the development of resistance. Individuals with compromised immune systems, those undergoing surgery, patients on mechanical ventilation or admitted to ICUs make up a high risk group. The presence of a multidrug-resistant bacteria in a healthcare facility drastically increases costs, prolongs hospitalizations and increases the risk of complications and deaths.
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Impact of bacterial resistance on the economy and society
In addition to the serious risks to patients’ health, antimicrobial resistance poses a threat of great proportions in the economic and social spheres. Experts warn that, if the situation persists at the current rate, many medical procedures that are considered safe today, such as transplants, cancer treatments and heart or orthopedic surgeries, could become much more dangerous in the future, as they depend on the effectiveness of antibiotics to prevent infections.
To face this complex problem, researchers from Texas A&M University, in the United States, in collaboration with the São Carlos Physics Institute (IFSC/USP), developed an innovative strategy. The approach combines traditional antibiotics with antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, using photosensitizing substances that, activated by light, release molecules capable of destroying essential bacterial structures, reversing resistance or enhancing the action of antibiotics.
During the research, scientists used two photosensitizers – methylene blue and Photodithazine – together with three antibiotics commonly used in clinical practice: ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and ceftriaxone. Laboratory tests proved that the combined therapy significantly surpassed the effectiveness of drug treatments or photodynamic therapy applied individually.
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Research findings indicated a notable synergistic effect between the approaches. The combined action of light, photosensitizers and antibiotics has proven to be much more powerful than the mere sum of the isolated effects of each component. In several experiments, it was possible to eliminate a large part of the bacteria using reduced dosages of antibiotics, a crucial point for the management of microbial resistance.
Photodynamic therapy works by causing multiple damage to bacteria, simultaneously affecting the cell membrane, proteins and genetic material. This comprehensive aggression not only makes it difficult for microorganisms to develop new resistance mechanisms, but also facilitates the penetration of antibiotics into bacterial cells. In this way, drugs that had limited efficacy when used alone can have their therapeutic potential restored when combined with this new methodology.
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Potential of the approach to reduce antibiotic use
One of the most promising aspects of this technology is the possibility of reducing the consumption of antibiotics. Reducing bacterial exposure to high concentrations of these drugs minimizes the selective pressure that favors the emergence of new resistant strains. This strategy aims not only to combat current infections, but also to ensure that antibiotics remain effective for future generations.
Although the initial results were obtained in a laboratory environment, the research authors believe that the study opens a new and important perspective for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. Next steps include investigations into bacterial biofilms, testing in animal models and future clinical evaluations, which are crucial to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the technology in patients.
Professor Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato, from IFSC/USP and one of the corresponding authors of the article, highlighted the importance of the discovery. He said that at a time when superbugs pose a global challenge to healthcare systems, initiatives like this offer an optimistic vision for the future. The scientist points out that the combination of photodynamic therapy with antibiotics can become an essential tool to protect hospitals, save lives and face one of the biggest contemporary health threats: antimicrobial resistance, inaugurating a line of research called “photo-antibiotic therapy”.
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This study received financial support from several institutions, including the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (USA), the Governor’s University Research Initiative (GURI), the Chancellor’s Research Initiative (CRI), FAPESP, CNPq and Embrapii.
