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A team of researchers has discovered how to revert antibiotic resistance in one of the most dangerous superbugs: Acinetobacter baumannii 鈥� responsible for up to 20% of infections in intensive care units.

Published in , the research paper describes the use of bacteriophages 鈥� also known as 鈥榩hages鈥� 鈥� to kill A. baumannii, pinpointing how the superbug becomes resistant to attack from phages, and in doing so, loses its resistance to antibiotics.

鈥淧hages are viruses, but they cannot harm humans,鈥� lead study author Dr Fernando Gordillo Altamirano from the Monash University School of Biological Sciences said.

鈥淭hey only kill bacteria.鈥�

Dr Jeremy Barr 鈥� senior study author, Group Leader at the School of Biological Sciences and part of the 鈥� added, 鈥淲e have a large panel of phages that are able to kill antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii. But this superbug is smart, and in the same way it becomes resistant to antibiotics, it also quickly becomes resistant to our phages.鈥�

Dr Altamirano explained that A. baumannii produces a capsule 鈥� a viscous and sticky outer layer that protects it and stops the entry of antibiotics.

鈥淥ur phages use that same capsule as their port of entry to infect the bacterial cell,鈥� Dr Altamirano said.

鈥淚n an effort to escape from the phages, A. baumannii stops producing its capsule 鈥� and that鈥檚 when we can hit it with the antibiotics it used to resist.鈥�

The study showed resensitisation to at least seven different antibiotics.

鈥淭his greatly expands the resources to treat A. baumannii infections,鈥� Dr Barr said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e making this superbug a lot less scary.鈥�

Even though more research is needed before this therapeutic strategy can be applied in the clinic, the prospects are encouraging.

Image credit: 漏stock.adobe.com/au/vrx123