Assistant professor Dr. Amy Lee from SFU’s department of molecular biology and biochemistry is leading a research project to study how superbugs evolve, and their potential effective treatments. Superbugs can be “strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics.” The concern over superbugs is significant due to how viruses evolve and become stronger, thus having further negative effects on humans.
The purpose of the study is “to understand how bacteria develop resistance because that makes the drug ineffective,” according to SFU News.
The research will study the genes of superbugs using “current sequencing technologies and computation analysis to discover new drug targets,” ultimately fighting the occurring infections, said SFU alumni Venus Lau, another research team member.
Researchers’ current focus is between treatments against superbugs, like antivirulence and antibiotics, to fight bacterial infections. When antibiotics are taken to fight infections, the bacteria which aid the immune system and human body are also attacked. This can cause more negative than positive outcomes. SFU professor Dr. Patrick Taylor discussed how antivirulence treatments can reduce harmful bacteria by focusing on the effect of antibiotics on the human body. At the same time, patients recover without negative consequences.
Antivirulence drugs are increasingly being developed as they are in heavy demand. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported over 700,000 deaths that are caused by “drug-resistant diseases,” leading the WHO to name antibiotic resistance to be a global health threat.
