[Nature Sub-Journal] Health Threats - Study Reveals Devastating Drug-resistant Bacteria: Mycobacterium abscessus

This article was originally written by Translational Medicine.
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Author: Ashley Introduction: As the number of infections worldwide is on the rise, a devastating drug-resistant bacterium: Mycobacterium abscessus, is considered an emerging health threat
.

Mycobacterium abscessus, an increasingly recognized human pathogen, is emerging as a major threat that causes multiple clinical manifestations and is increasing in prevalence in patient populations with respiratory diseases
.

It attacks lung tissue, making it difficult to breathe, and is notorious for being extremely resistant to drugs and antibiotics
.

Centennial Institute researchers have uncovered new insights into Mycobacterium abscessus, a highly drug-resistant bacterium that can cause serious infections and lung damage in vulnerable people
.

Mycobacterium abscessus is commonly found in soil, dust and water and is closely related to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy
.

Individuals with underlying conditions such as bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis, an inherited lung disease, are particularly susceptible to M.
abscessus infection
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In published studies using the adult zebrafish as a model, the researchers found that the immune system responds in different ways, depending on which M.
abscessus variant is at play
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The discovery is a key step in the development of potential new treatments against M.
abscessus infections
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Related research was recently published in the journal Nature Communications, titled "Rough and smooth variants of Mycobacterium abscessus are differentially controlled by host immunity during chronic infection of adult zebrafish"
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Dr Oehlers, senior author of the study and affiliated research fellow at the Centennial Institute and A*STAR Infectious Diseases Laboratory (Singapore), said: "M.
abscessus is emerging as a major threat and is prevalent in patient populations with respiratory diseases.
It is increasing
.

It attacks lung tissue, making it difficult to breathe and is notorious for being extremely resistant to drugs and antibiotics
.

" "M.
abscessus comes in two types - rough and smooth
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The rough The variant differs from the smooth in that it lacks certain surface lipids
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We wanted to better understand the body's immune response to both variants
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" The researchers found that infection with the rough variant caused the zebrafish under study to develop An overactive immune response, which drives increased inflammation and tissue destruction
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The smooth variant, while proliferating to high levels in zebrafish, had reduced levels of inflammation and tissue damage
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This result reflects the lower rate of lung function decline commonly seen in human patients infected with the smooth variant of M.
abscessus
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"Our findings are important because studying the immune system and how it responds to M.
abscessus is key to developing new treatments that can best combat this potentially devastating bacterial infection
,
" said Dr.
Oehlers .
Medical research in this area is challenging because previous models of M.
abscessus have not been able to convincingly reproduce the human disease condition,
Dr.

"Our new zebrafish model will allow researchers to further unearth the genetic and environmental factors that cause some people to develop severe infections, while others are able to clear M.
abscessus from the body without symptoms
.

"Reference: https://medicalxpress.
com/news/2022-02-devastating-drug-resistant-bacteria.
html Note: This article aims to introduce the progress of medical research and cannot be used as a reference for treatment plans
.

For health guidance, please Go to a regular hospital for treatment.
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