SYDNEY — A
protein found in the blood of Australian oysters could help in the fight
against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, according to a study published on
Tuesday.
The study led by a team from Australia's Southern Cross
University (SCU) discovered that a protein in the blood of the Sydney rock
oyster is capable of killing bacteria as well as increasing the effectiveness
of some antibiotics against a range of bacteria, Xinhua news agency reported.
In laboratory tests, they found that the protein was
effective at killing Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes, the
bacteria that cause pneumonia and strep throat, respectively.
When used with antibiotics, the protein made them between
two and 32 times more effective at killing the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus
and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The researchers said that the study supported the potential
use of natural products from oysters to treat bacterial infections.
They found that the protein is not toxic to human cells,
indicating that it should be possible to optimise a safe antibiotic from oyster
blood. Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) superbugs, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and
parasites that no longer respond to antibiotics designed to kill them, have
been identified as a major threat to global public health.
According to the World Health Organization, infections that
have developed AMR can be difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk
of disease spread, severe illness, disability, and death.
The research team found that the oyster protein can kill
bacterial pathogens in biofilms, communities of organisms that stick together,
enabling them to evade antibiotics and the human immune system.
"The oyster hemolymph proteins were found to prevent
biofilm formation and disrupt biofilms, so the bacteria remain available to
antibiotic exposure at lower doses," said co-author Kirsten Benkendorff
from SCU's Faculty of Science and Engineering.
She said that the discovery provided a great opportunity for
researchers and the aquaculture and pharmaceutical industries to collaborate on
developing a new antibiotic.
