Think of a future in which the terrible superbugs, those stubborn ones who resist antibiotics, even the most powerful ones, are finally tamed. A world in which a simple urinary tract infection does not require hospitalization and long intravenous administrations. It could be a reality within reach thanks to a New Zealand research team led by Dr Gale Brightwell.
The AgResearch team in New Zealand demonstrated the antimicrobial efficacy of a combination of two wavelengths of light against a well-known superbug, the. coli producer of antibiotic-resistant broad-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL-Ec).
Antibiotic Resistance: A Global Threat
The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is a constantly growing danger, which increasingly threatens human and animal health. It is estimated that by 2050 it will cause the dramatic figure of 10 million deaths a year.
"There is an absolute need to develop safe and effective antimicrobial technologies that do not generate new resistance," he explains Amanda Gardner, correspondent author of the study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology (I link it here).
UVC light and Blue LED: watch out for those two
By combining the forces of far-UVC light (222 nm) and blue LED light (405 nm), scientists have found a way to knock out a number of microorganisms. This combination is much safer to use and handle than traditional 254nm UVC light.
THE. coli chosen for this research is known to produce enzymes that destroy commonly used antibiotics, rendering these drugs ineffective for treating infections. This resistance to antibiotics reduces our available options for treating infections of this type, potentially rendering us helpless.
Two lights of hope for the future?
When far-UVC light and blue LED light join forces, their combined power becomes a real nightmare for microorganisms, thanks to different inactivation mechanisms. “There is great potential for these two wavelengths of light to be used together in many applications where end-user safety is of utmost importance,” says Gardner.
More work is needed to understand whether E. coli can adapt and end up tolerating this too. "bombardment" of light, and understand if this risk can also develop in other bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
Meanwhile, the lights are on for our future health.
