The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and University College London made a breakthrough with the identification of a part of the protein in human breast milk that could help with the problem of superbugs. The discovery is believed to lend a big help in fighting the growing prevalence of resistance of bacteria that infect humans to antibiotics.
According to Sky News, the study found that the breast milk protein - lactoferrin - is able to effectively eliminate bacteria, fungi and viruses upon contact with these agents. Lactoferrin is what provides breast milk its microbe-fighting properties and what makes it an essential nourishment, especially for infants during the early months of life.
The researchers developed a "virus-like capsule" from lactoferrin designed to identify and destroy particular bacteria without any detrimental effect to the human cells surrounding any target area.
Research team member, student Hasan Alkassem, explained how the team is able to keep up with the activities of the capsules. "To monitor the activity of the capsules in real time we developed a high-speed measurement platform using atomic force microscopy," Alkassem described. "The challenge was not just to see the capsules, but to follow their attack on bacterial membranes. The result was striking: the capsules acted as projectiles porating the membranes with bullet speed and efficiency."
Even with this success Dame Sally Davies, who is a chief medical officer for England, realistically puts the onus on governments to act upon the antibiotics crisis on a bigger scale. "We need on average 10 new antibiotics every decade. If others do not work with us, it's not something we can sort on our own," Dame Davis explained. "This is a global problem. I am optimistic about this. The science is crackable. It's doable."
According to The Guardian, dealing with drug-resistance by superbugs has escalated in priority in the UK. A panel tasked by the government projects that if the problem of superbugs is unattended, as 10 million lives, even deaths, would result and cost as much as £700 billion globally per year worldwide by 2050.
The study has been published in the journal Chemical Science of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
