Scientists have discovered a new part of the immune system that could be a valuable source of antibiotics. This discovery revolves around the proteasome, a structure found in every cell of the body, previously known for recycling proteins. However, researchers in Israel have shown that the proteasome has a hidden function: it can detect bacterial infections and switch roles to produce bacteria-killing chemicals.
This groundbreaking finding, published in Nature, changes our understanding of how the body defends itself against infections. Instead of just breaking down old proteins, the proteasome transforms them into antibacterial molecules capable of destroying harmful bacteria.
According to Professor Yifat Merbl from the Weizmann Institute of Science, this is a novel immunity mechanism that generates a whole new class of natural antibiotics within human cells.
To explore this further, the research team conducted a process they called ' dumpster diving ', searching for these natural antibiotics.
Their experiments tested the effectiveness of these molecules in lab conditions and on mice with infections like pneumonia and sepsis. The results were promising, showing effects comparable to established antibiotics. Additionally, when researchers disabled the proteasome in laboratory cells, those cells became significantly more vulnerable to bacterial infections, including Salmonella.
The study has drawn attention from other scientists, such as Professor Daniel Davis, an immunologist at Imperial College London, who described the findings as 'extremely provocative and very interesting.' He emphasized that this discovery introduces a completely new way in which the body naturally produces antimicrobial molecules. However, he cautioned that transforming this knowledge into a new class of antibiotics will take time and further testing.
The urgency for new antibiotics is clear—more than a million people die each year from infections resistant to existing drugs. Despite this, research into new antibiotics has been limited in recent years. In the past, scientists searched for antibiotics in soil, but this new discovery suggests that potential solutions may already exist within the human body.
Dr. Lindsey Edwards, a microbiology expert at King’s College London, described the proteasome’s antibiotic potential as a ' goldmine '. She also noted that because these antibacterial molecules are naturally produced by the human body, their safety profile might make them easier to develop into drugs.
With antibiotic resistance becoming an increasing threat, this discovery offers hope for finding new treatments in an unexpected place—the immune system itself.
Vocabulary:
• revolves (verb): turns around a center.
• proteasome (noun): protein-recycling structure.
• finding (noun): discovery or result.
• harmful (adjective): causing damage.
• mice (noun): small rodents.
• further (adverb): more or additional.
• reveal (verb): to make something known.
• safety (noun): protection from harm.
Source: BBC News