Hong Kong and Beijing scientists use gene editing to find cure for superbug
- Research discovers the drug resistance mechanism of the potentially fatal Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Hong Kong team isolate the bacteria then use gene editing method developed in Beijing
The Hong Kong research team developed a therapy that can break down the defences of the superbug Pseudomonas aeruginosa, helped by a Beijing team that provided a gene-editing method allowing scientists to test their theory, according to a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Reports.
Gene editing gives scientists the ability to change an organism’s DNA, allowing genetic codes to be added, removed or modified. It makes use of scissor-like molecules that occur naturally in bacteria’s immune systems.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is resistant to nearly all antibiotics, because of a unique defence system that can “pump” them out of its body, researchers said. Outbreaks of the infection it causes – which can occur in organs including lungs, kidneys and urinary tract, and can lead to amputation or death – are increasing worldwide.
The Hong Kong research team, led by Dr Aixin Yan, an associate professor in biological sciences at the University of Hong Kong, found the first high-risk strain on patients in a hospital in the city in 2015, when they managed to isolate the bacteria in a laboratory. But they hit a wall soon after.
