New study sheds light on bacterial evasion of antibiotics

Researchers have revealed a new insight into how a subset of bacterial cells can escape being killed by many antibiotics, opening avenues for future therapies.

The Imperial College London study have studied the process through which bacterial cells become "persisters", which sees them stop replicating and tolerate antibiotics long enough to survive and proliferate again.

A team from the university has been able to visualise persister cells in infected tissues for the first time, while also identifying signals leading to their formation.

Since this process plays a crucial role in the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, further understanding of its mechanisms could be crucial.

One of the study's lead authors Dr Sophie Helaine said: "Now we know the molecular pathways and mechanisms that lead to persister formation during infection, we can work on screening for new drugs to coax them out of this state."

Tackling antibiotic resistance has been identified as a key NHS priority by the Department of Health, as well as global bodies such as the World Health Organization.