Scientists from the MRC Department of Toxicology at the University of Cambridge, together with colleagues from the University of Tübingen, have discovered that different types of gut bacteria work together to help them “outsmart” drugs and develop resistance to them. Research results It was published In the journal Cell.
Researchers explained that many medications people take can directly inhibit the growth of bacteria in the gut microbiome and disrupt their functions. This can have both positive and negative effects on health. However, sometimes bacteria can develop resistance to drugs, which reduces the effectiveness of the drugs.
During the experiment, scientists compared the characteristics of interactions between drugs and bacteria grown alone or as part of a complex microbial community. The team examined how 30 types of drugs (including those intended to treat infectious and non-infectious diseases) affected 32 different types of bacteria.
It has been determined that some drug-resistant bacteria exhibit collective behavior, that is, they protect other microorganisms sensitive to drugs. This cross-protection allows the microbiome to function as before in the presence of drugs. When kept in isolation, non-drug-resistant bacteria were rapidly eliminated.
Scientists explained that bacteria help each other by absorbing or breaking down drugs. These strategies are called bioaccumulation and biotransformation, respectively. But even teamwork has its limits. Researchers found that high drug concentrations lead to disruption of microbiome communities and cross-sensitivity replacement of cross-protection strategies. When cross-sensitivity occurs, bacteria that are normally resistant to certain drugs become sensitive to them.
Previously found The relationship between antibiotic use and aggression.