Looking for alternatives in the "post-antibiotic era"
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics represents a significant threat to human and animal health and is considered an emerging global problem. The control and prevention of resistance is one of the priorities of the "One Health" project, which unifies the approach of balance and optimization of human, animal and environmental health. Besides resistance, the ability of the microorganism to penetrate the body and cause disease (virulence ability) also helps bacteria to survive.
Microorganisms entering the body can form a bacterial biofilm that protects them from the host's immune system. "Due to the multicellular structure, bacterial biofilm is commonly associated with higher antibiotic resistance, and treatment is thus less effective, leading to efforts to find alternative therapy options. Our research projects focus not only on the detection of antibiotic resistance in veterinary medicine or the capture of strains capable of forming biofilms but also on progressive ecological, sustainable strategies for the destruction of bacterial biofilms formed by resistant bacteria," states the team of authors from the Institute of Animal Physiology of the Centre of Biosciences SAS.
The results found so far point to the occurrence of alarming resistance to antibiotics in animal biofilm-forming bacteria. At the same time, however, they also reveal the ability of zinc in various forms to show antibacterial and antibiofilm potential, even against multi-resistant bacteria. These findings bring hope for the future to more effectively counter bacterial resistance.
Source and contact person: Dobroslava Bujňáková, Institute of Animal Physiology of the Centre of Biosciences SAS, Košice
Edited by Monika Tináková
Foto: ÚFHZ CB SAV, v. v. i.