Research
'Living medicine' tackles drug-resistant biofilms growing on ventilation tubes
The Brief
- A study published in the journal eBioMedicine reports that a "living medicine" thinned biofilms of antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lungs of pigs.
- The experimental treatment involves inhaling a genetically modified bacterium designed to target the biofilms.
- The findings come from animal experiments, so effects in humans have not been shown in these sources.
Why it matters
Biofilms of drug-resistant bacteria are hard to clear with antibiotics, so a different approach that works in a large-animal model could inform future treatments for ventilator-associated lung infections.
Who’s affected
- researchers working on antibiotic-resistant infections
- patients who depend on mechanical ventilation
- #biofilms
- #antibiotic resistance
- #pseudomonas aeruginosa
- #living medicine
- #mechanical ventilation
A "living medicine" has thinned biofilms of antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lungs of pigs, according to the findings of a study published in the journal eBioMedicine. The experimental treatment involves inhaling a genetically modified bacterium designed to…