Study suggests ‘bacteria birth control’

Drug-resistant bacteria mutations could be prevented from spreading through a drug used to treat bone loss, according to research released today.

The vulnerable relaxase enzyme helps bacteria transfer strands of DNA in the conjugation process and as such, Dr Matt Redinbo of the University of North Carolina says, it is “the gatekeeper? [but] also the Achilles’ heel of the resistance process”.

Using bisphosphonates can block this enzyme, thus stopping bacteria from sweeping their drug-resistant information through a colony.

Today’s research, published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, will be useful in encouraging the use of drugs to help patients in hospital, the scientists said.

“We hope this discovery will help existing antibiotics or offer a new treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” Dr Redinbo said.

“Our discoveries may lead to the ability to selectively kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria in patients, and to halt the spread of resistance in clinical settings.”

The findings only apply to E coli and are especially effective in areas where the drug dosage can be easily controlled, such as in the gastrointestinal tract or on the skin, the study says.