{"id":5946,"date":"2024-09-20T14:48:37","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T14:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=5946"},"modified":"2024-10-16T21:09:56","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T21:09:56","slug":"breakthrough-antimicrobial-discovery-offers-hope-in-fight-against-cholera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/breakthrough-antimicrobial-discovery-offers-hope-in-fight-against-cholera\/","title":{"rendered":"Breakthrough Antimicrobial Discovery Offers Hope in Fight Against Cholera"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a new class of antimicrobials, microcins, that target the strains of bacteria causing cholera. This breakthrough offers hope in treating antibiotic-resistant infections and improving gut health.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have made a groundbreaking discovery that could change the landscape of disease treatment and prevention. In two recent studies, they have identified a new class of natural antimicrobials, called microcins, which show potential in fighting harmful pathogens such as those causing cholera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cholera, a severe diarrheal disease caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria, can lead to rapid dehydration and death within hours. According to the World Health Organization, cholera claims between 21,000 and 143,000 lives each year worldwide. The quest for effective treatments has been urgent, particularly in an era where antibiotic resistance is on the rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1931312824003196?via%3Dihub\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in Cell Host &amp; Microbe, UT Austin researchers, led by doctoral candidate Sun-Young Kim, have pinpointed the first known microcin that targets cholera-causing bacteria. This discovery is significant not only for its immediate implications for cholera but also for its broader potential to treat other serious health conditions like pathogenic E. coli infections, inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cImagine one day eating yogurt containing probiotic strains of bacteria that produce microcins to prevent or treat cholera, pathogenic E. coli, inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer,\u201d Bryan Davies, professor of molecular biosciences and a senior author on both papers, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.utexas.edu\/2024\/09\/11\/newly-discovered-antimicrobial-could-prevent-or-treat-cholera\/\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>. \u201cThe idea is to put in healthy bacteria that would then be able to continually make microcins in the gut to fight off the pathogen of interest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microcins are unique in that they specifically target harmful bacteria without disturbing the beneficial bacteria within the human gut microbiome. This selectivity could make them highly effective in treating infections while preserving the delicate balance essential for overall health. Additionally, microcins operate through a different mechanism than traditional antibiotics, offering a promising solution against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To discover these microcins, the research team employed artificial intelligence. They developed an AI-based approach utilizing protein large language models (LLMs), akin to the technology behind modern chatbots like ChatGPT, to scan bacterial genomes for potential candidates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This innovative method, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biorxiv.org\/content\/10.1101\/2023.11.15.567263v1\" title=\"\">described<\/a> in a forthcoming peer-reviewed paper, has already revealed about two dozen candidate microcins from nonpathogenic strains of V. cholerae. One such microcin, MvcC, has proven effective in killing pathogenic V. cholerae strains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou have bacteria in your gut right now making microcins,\u201d Davies added. \u201cThey\u2019re a natural part of how your bacterial communities organize and compete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers also uncovered that microcin-producing V. cholerae bacteria possess a built-in &#8220;antidote&#8221; known as an immunity protease, which prevents them from being harmed by their own microcins. In experiments with mice, the microcin-producing bacteria successfully outcompeted the pathogenic strains, illustrating their potential as a natural defense mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The implications of this research are profound. By harnessing the power of microcins, we could develop new probiotic treatments not just for cholera, but for a range of gut-related diseases. This breakthrough has the potential to save lives and shift the paradigm in our ongoing battle against antibiotic-resistant pathogens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMicrocin biology is very unique and extremely understudied,\u201d Claus Wilke, a UT professor of integrative biology and statistics and data sciences and a co-author on the forthcoming paper, said in the news release. \u201cAnd so, it\u2019s a good field to be in, where there\u2019s still a lot to be done and to be discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have made a groundbreaking discovery that could change the landscape of disease treatment and prevention. In two recent studies, they have identified a new class of natural antimicrobials, called microcins, which show potential in fighting harmful pathogens such as those causing cholera. Cholera, a severe diarrheal disease [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have made a groundbreaking discovery that could change the landscape of disease treatment and prevention. In two recent studies, they have identified a new class of natural antimicrobials, called microcins, which show potential in fighting harmful pathogens such as those causing cholera. Cholera, a severe diarrheal disease&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5946"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5946\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6024,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5946\/revisions\/6024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}