Groundbreaking Hebrew University study could lead to innovative drugs to fight currently untreatable bacteria. Thousands of people are estimated to die of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria every year.
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Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have developed an innovative technology for treating antimicrobial resistance, the loss of antibiotic efficacy of bacteria, in its biofilm state.
Thousands of people are estimated to die of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria every year, leading to concerns additional bacteria could become resistant to antibiotic treatment.
A new study led by two of the world's leading researchers in the field, Professors Doron Steinberg and Raphael Mechoulam, looked at the effect of cannabinoids, compounds found in cannabis, on bacteria and fungi as well as biofilm formation.
Microbes are most often found in a state of biofilm, and most infectious diseases are associated with biofilms.
"We synthesized a series of cannabinoids, which are components of the marijuana plant, as well as endocannabinoids the body produces on its own, and we examined whether they behave in such a way that kills bacteria in their resident state," Doron explained.
Research teams discovered materials used in the study harm bacteria in both their resident and transient states. The most exciting observation showed endocannabinoids and similar molecules act against staphylococcus aureus, an antibiotic-resistant bacteria responsible for many diseases and infections. The groundbreaking research may lead to the development of a series of innovative drugs to fight various kinds of currently untreatable bacteria and fungi.
Steinberg said: "My lab team discovered that some of the cannabinoids and endocannabinoids harm [antibiotic-] resistant bacteria and this is therefore great news for the world of medical microbiology. The technology we developed could be the key and the global solution for the microorganisms resistant to medicine and the problem we have been dealing with for many years in the medical world that has only gotten worse as the years go by."
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