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Raphael ThysWyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard and MIT have developed a novel therapeutic device that could help humans from the harmful side effects of antibiotics.They essentially modified a strain of bacteria that are often found in cheese production to deliver an enzyme that breaks down beta-lactam antibiotics -- a common family of antibiotics which also includes penicillin.With the help of gene editing, researchers were able to modify how their bacterium synthesises the enzyme to prevent it from transferring the capability to another bacteria.
We already know how damaging antibiotics can be for our gut bacteria -- how in their pursuit of killing the wrong bacteria, they end up killing the good ones that are necessary for digestion and other bodily functions.
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However, researchers at Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard and MIT have developed a novel therapeutic device that could help humans from the harmful side effects of antibiotics.
They essentially modified a strain of bacteria that are often found in cheese production to deliver an enzyme that breaks down beta-lactam antibiotics -- a common family of antibiotics which also includes penicillin.
With the help of gene editing, researchers were able to modify how their bacterium synthesises the enzyme to prevent it from transferring the capability to another bacteria. This treatment essentially allows the drug to do its magic without the effects on gut microbes.
They put this device to the test in a study involving mice where they saw that their bacteria considerably reduced the damage ampicillin did to the test subject’s microbes while allowing it to fully recover in a matter of just three days. On the other hand, mice who only had the antibiotic saw a considerable loss of microbes.
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Andrés Cubillos-Ruiz, the lead author of the study explains, "No previous intervention could offer this level of protection. With our new technology, we can make antibiotics safer by preserving beneficial gut microbes and by reducing the chances of emergence of new antibiotic-resistant variants."
There is still time for this treatment to be out for everyone. Researchers are now finalising the design of a brief, inexpensive clinical trial to take this to the next level.
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