New UVA Computer Models to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

University of Virginia researchers are pioneering advanced computer models to target harmful bacteria with greater precision, a development that could significantly curb the threat of antibiotic resistance.

A new development from the University of Virginia School of Medicine may usher in a new era of precision medicine, promising to revolutionize the way antibiotics are used to treat infections. Using advanced computer models, UVA researchers have found a way to target harmful bacteria more precisely, potentially reducing the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

“Many biomedical challenges are incredibly complex, and computer models are emerging as a powerful tool for tackling such problems,” corresponding author Jason Papin, a professor in UVA’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, said in a news release. “We’re hopeful that these computer models of the molecular networks in bacteria will help us develop new strategies to treat infections.”

Currently, antibiotics function as broad-spectrum agents, killing bacteria indiscriminately. This widespread use exacerbates the problem of antibiotic resistance, rendering some of modern medicine’s most vital tools less effective.

UVA’s cutting-edge approach has opened the door to antibiotics that could provide laser-targeted treatment, addressing this pressing issue.

The Power of Precision

Papin, doctoral student Emma Glass and their team at UVA, in collaboration with Andrew Warren, a research assistant professor at UVA’s Biocomplexity Institute, have painstakingly developed sophisticated computer models of every human bacterial pathogen with enough genetic information available.

Glass’s analysis revealed that bacteria in specific areas of the body, such as the stomach, exhibit unique metabolic properties shaped by their environment.

“Using our computer models, we found that the bacteria living in the stomach had unique properties,” Glass said in the news release. “These properties can be used to guide the design of targeted antibiotics, which could hopefully one day slow the emergence of resistant infections.”

This discovery suggests that the shared traits of bacteria in different locales within the body can be exploited as a new strategy to combat bacterial infections. By targeting specific bacterial types, doctors may minimize the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, subsequently reducing the risk of resistance.

Promising Early Results

Papin and his team have already observed promising results. Their computer-modeling approach was able to inhibit the growth of harmful stomach bacteria in laboratory experiments, offering a glimpse into the potential of this technology.

“We still have much to do to test these ideas for other bacteria and types of infections,” Papin added. “But this work shows the incredible promise of data science and computer modeling for tackling some of the most important problems in biomedical research.”

The researchers’ findings have been published in the scientific journal PLOS Biology.