When triclosan, a substance that reduces or prevents the growth of bacteria is combined with an antibiotic called tobramycin, it kills cells that protect the CF bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, by up to 99.9%, and could be used as a treatment for the cystic fibrosis, according to results of a study published in the medical journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
The cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects between 2,500 to 3,500 people diagnosed at an early age. They develop thick mucus in the lungs, which becomes a magnet for bacteria.
These bacteria are notoriously difficult to kill because they are protected by a viscous barrier known as a biofilm, which allows the disease to thrive even when treated with antibiotics.
Researchers at Michigan State University in the United States have tried to see how to destroy them in order to treat the disease by first growing 6,000 biofilms in Petri dishes.
“The problem we’re really addressing is finding ways to kill these biofilms,” said Chris Waters, lead author of the study and professor of microbiology.
They added many different compounds to tobramycin to identify what works best for killing bacteria. Twenty-five potential compounds were effective, but one stood out, triclosan.
Triclosan effective against cystic fibrosis
“It is well known that triclosan, when used alone, is not effective in killing these bacteria,” said Hunt, an associate postdoctoral fellow in microbiology and molecular genetics. “But when I saw it listed as a possible compound for use with tobramycin, I was intrigued. We found triclosan to be the one that worked every time.”
Triclosan has been used for over 40 years in soaps, makeup and other commercial products because of its antibacterial properties. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to limit its use in soaps and hand sanitizers due to insufficient data on its increased effectiveness and concerns about its overuse. Clear evidence has shown, however, that its use in toothpaste is safe and very effective in combating gingivitis.
“Limiting its use is the right thing to do,” commented co-author Michael Maiden, “the key is to avoid creating resistance to a substance so when it is found in too many products, chances of resistance increase “.
“Our results [sur l’utilisation] triclosan gives doctors an alternative and allows them to use less tobramycin in their treatments, “added Professor Hunt.
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