Rarely, the refutation of a scientific theory can be called good news. However, the results of a research team from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) offer little hope in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

aminoglycosides.
Antibiotic resistance is becoming one of the greatest concerns of contemporary medicine. This shows that the interest shown in the subject and the effort spent is high.

The latest study focused on bacterial resistance to aminoglycosides, a family of antibiotics used to fight some serious infections. This type of antibiotic is considered “critically important” by WHO, among other reasons why it can do its job in the absence of other antimicrobial alternatives.

resistance path.
Recent study led by researchers from UCM and Limoges and published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research has shed some light on the mechanisms bacteria have to defend themselves against antibiotics. But experts did so, rejecting a theory proposed in a 2013 paper.

The theory proposed by the first paper focused on the role of the system. ribo switch (also called molecular switch or riboswitch) will be responsible for preparing the bacteria in its fight against the drug. A riboswitch is a segment of messenger RNA that is attached to a molecule and helps synthesize some essential elements for the life of the bacterium in question.

The new study ruled out this is how the interaction between bacteria and antibiotics evolved.

A question about energy saving.
The molecular transmission mechanism serves the bacteria to carry out some biological processes efficiently. Therefore, if it is the mechanism responsible for dealing with threats from antibiotics, it can do so without expending excessive energy.

“The fact that we specifically show that there is no such regulation of the expression of these genes, as was assured in Cell in 2013, means that the cost is there,” explains José Antonio Escudero, one of the text’s authors. A press release.

“This cost is the main brake on the progression of resistance, so our results are good news. They show that limiting the consumption of these antibiotics is a valid tool for reversing potential resistance against a critical family of antibiotics,” Escudero continues.

Better use of antibiotics.
So the study points to some good news: Bacteria are a little harder to deal with when dealing with antibiotics than we thought. However, as the resistance of these creatures to antibiotic treatments continues to increase, it is not recommended to let our guard down.

Unless we know how to reverse this process, our only way is to be careful with the use of antibiotics. “The proper use of antibiotics is one way to reduce resistance, and it’s key to health policy at all levels,” explains Escudero.

I’m looking for bugs.
The conclusion of the 2013 paper did not suit the researchers. The model showed that the gene responsible for immunizing the bacteria resides in an integron, a set of genes that work as the “brain” in bacteria and learn some of their basic functions. However, this made no biological sense to Escudero and his team.

They found that none of the integrons linked to antibiotic resistance changed state like a molecular change. They confirmed changes in these structures in the presence of other antibiotic families and concluded that this could be the source of the error in the 2013 experiment.

The importance of rejection.
The importance of confirming or rejecting scientific research and theories is often overlooked by prioritizing new discoveries by only laying the groundwork for what we suspect. However, sometimes it’s essential to discard erroneous theories in order to move forward when it comes to understanding our Universe or dealing with potentially deadly diseases.

Image | Gerald