LONDON, Ontario, April 26 (UPI) -- Canadian-led researchers have found a way to kill a drug-resistant "superbug" that presents a danger to cystic fibrosis victims.
Led by Dr. Miguel Valvano, researchers from The University of Western Ontario, working with a group from Scotland, have discovered a way to kill the cystic fibrosis superbug Burkholderia cenocepacia -- a multidrug resistant microorganism that lives in damp or wet places and causes rot in plants such as onions.
While rarely causing infection in healthy people, it can be fatal for people with cystic fibrosis -- an inherited disease in which the lungs become clogged with thick mucus, often leading to chronic respiratory infections.
The team identified a weakness in the armor that protects the bacterium from the effects of antibiotics. They hypothesize that preventing the synthesis of a key sugar might lead to susceptibility within the cell membrane to antibiotics.
"We're delighted by this news," said Cathleen Morrison of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. "The possibility of a life-saving antibiotic to fight B. cenocepacia is tremendously encouraging to adults and children who have cystic fibrosis."
The research is published in the May issue of the Journal of Bacteriology, and highlighted in Nature Reviews/Microbiology.
