The scorpion fish may appear offputting, but new research suggests that the venomous marine animal could hold the key to treating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections among Cystic Fibrosis Patients.

Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections are common in Cystic Fibrosis patients because of a genetic mutation, which can cause the accumulation of thick mucus in our lungs.

However, a recent study conducted by scientists in Germany discovered the significant potential of a protein derived from scorpion fish, known as bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI).

BPI is naturally produced by both humans and other organisms, working to fight gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria have complex outer layers that make it tough for antibiotics to break through.

This armor not only makes them more drug-resistant but also a real challenge to eliminate. So, both our immune system and healthcare professionals find it difficult to tackle these kinds of bacterial infections.

Nonetheless, a lot of people with cystic fibrosis generate antibodies that essentially neutralize BPI. So, researchers are on a quest to discover other forms of this protein that can dodge these antibodies.

“In these cases, patients need continuous antibiotic treatment, which often leads to the development of multiple-drug resistance,” said Jonas Holzinger, a biologist from the Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene at University Hospital Regensburg, Germany.

“In consequence, therapeutic options are drastically limited, and there is an urgent need for new approaches.”

However, scientists uncovered that the BPI protein from scorpionfish successfully slipped past the immune defenses of cystic Fibrosis Patients and was notably effective in fighting gram-negative bacteria.

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“When we compared scorpionfish BPI to those of other organisms, we discovered its exceptional activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa,” added Holzinger.

P. aeruginosa is a versatile, rod-like bacterium that falls under the gram-negative category. You can find it in diverse settings like soil, water, and even human skin.

Its ability to adapt and survive in many different conditions makes it especially robust and sometimes tough to tackle. Additionally, it is an opportunistic pathogen, meaning it is able to cause infections, mainly in people with weakened immune systems or other existing health issues.

Yet, according to Holzinger, the scorpionfish protein was able to work “impressively fast,” effectively killing the bacteria within just one to three hours.

The BPI from scorpionfish takes a different approach than standard antibiotics– targeting the bacteria’s cell wall. This makes it a highly effective weapon against infections.

However, before BPI can be recommended as a treatment option, it needs to undergo testing in animal models specifically designed for cystic fibrosis to ensure it’s both effective and safe.

“If proven effective in animals and people, non-human BPI may provide new therapeutic options for difficult-to-treat bacterial infections,” concluded Dr. Sigrid Bülow, a microbiology specialist from the Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene.

“Developing non-human BPI therapies may benefit not only patients with cystic fibrosis but others impacted by severe infections with multiple drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria.”

To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in eLife, visit the link here.

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