Predatory bacteria that devour their own kind could be used in the fight against drug-resistant “super bugs”, says a new study carried out by researchers at Imperial College London and the University of Nottingham
The team used the bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus to kill a common cause of food poisoning, Shingella. Bdellovibrio is a fast-swimming bacterium that works its way inside other bacteria, where it then replicates, killing it’s host.
Tests in a laboratory dish showed the predatory bacteria caused a dramatic decline in a population of Shigella. Further tests in fish larvae showed a deadly dose of the superbug led to only 25% surviving for three days. But when the fish larvae were also "infected" with the predator bacteria, the survival rate soared to 60%.
It is the first time the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus has been successfully used as an injected anti-bacterial therapy and represents an important step in the fight against drug-resistant infections, or ‘superbugs’.
Dr Serge Mostowy, from Imperial College London, said: "It is definitely a creative approach and what is special is the inability of the host to develop resistance."
He added: "It's an important milestone in research into the use of a living antibiotic that could be used in animals and humans."
The researchers believe that Bdellovibrio could be particularly useful in treating infected wounds, as the predatory bacteria can be easily injected into the site.
The researchers said there were no signs of side effects and that the fish could tolerate very high levels of Bdellovibrio. The predatory bacteria have been found naturally living in our bodies by other researchers.
The study is published in Current Biology.