Researchers Develop New Method to Measure Antibiotic Effectiveness

Researchers at the University of Basel have introduced a groundbreaking method to assess how effectively antibiotics kill bacteria, addressing a significant challenge in the treatment of bacterial infections. Traditional approaches primarily evaluate the ability of antibiotics to inhibit bacterial growth in laboratory settings, but do not adequately measure the actual lethality of these drugs against pathogens in the human body.

New Approach to Antibiotic Assessment

Antibiotic resistance is a pressing health issue, as bacteria increasingly evolve to withstand common treatments. Even in the absence of resistance, bacteria can enter a dormant state where they do not reproduce, allowing them to survive antibiotic treatment and potentially reactivate once therapy ends. This phenomenon complicates the treatment of diseases like tuberculosis, where complete sterilization of the infection is crucial.

A research team led by Dr. Lucas Boeck from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel developed a novel technique known as “antimicrobial single-cell testing.” This method allows for detailed observation of individual bacterial responses to antibiotics over time, offering a more precise understanding of how effectively these drugs eliminate infections.

Technology and Findings

The researchers utilized microscopic imaging to film millions of individual bacteria under various conditions. “We use it to film each individual bacterium over several days and observe whether and how quickly a drug actually kills it,” explained Dr. Boeck. This approach enabled the team to quantify the proportion of the bacterial population eliminated by the treatment, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of different therapies.

In their study, the team tested 65 combination therapies on the tuberculosis pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They also examined samples from 400 patients suffering from a complex lung infection caused by Mycobacterium abscessus, a relative of the tuberculosis pathogen. Notably, they observed variations in antibiotic tolerance among different bacterial strains, revealing that certain genetic traits influence the bacteria’s ability to endure antibiotic treatment.

“The better bacteria tolerate an antibiotic, the lower the chances of therapeutic success are for the patients,”

stated Dr. Boeck, summarizing the significant implications of their findings. The results from antimicrobial single-cell testing closely mirrored data from previous clinical studies and animal models, highlighting its potential to enhance treatment predictions.

This innovative method has the potential to transform not only research but also clinical practice and drug development. Dr. Boeck emphasized that the technique could lead to tailored antibiotic therapies specific to individual patients’ bacterial strains. A deeper understanding of the underlying genetics may enable faster and simpler antibiotic tolerance testing, improving the development of new therapeutic agents.

In summary, the findings from this research, published in Nature Microbiology, could pave the way for more effective treatment strategies against bacterial infections, ultimately benefiting both patients and the pharmaceutical industry. As antibiotic resistance continues to rise, advancements in understanding bacterial survival strategies are critical for developing new and effective therapies.