Scientists discover new component of immune system, offer new potential target for antibiotic development

By Fatma Zehra Solmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Scientists have discovered a previously unknown component of the immune system, offering a new potential target for antibiotic development.

A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that this discovery could help address the growing threat of superbugs that are resistant to current treatments.

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel found that a section of the body responsible for recycling proteins also produces chemicals capable of killing bacteria.

The study's authors stated that the discovery “could provide an untapped source of natural antibiotics for biotechnological applications and therapeutic interventions in infectious diseases and immunocompromised conditions.”

Professor Yifat Merbl from the Weizmann Institute of Science told BBC that “This is really exciting because we never knew that this was happening.”

“We discovered a novel mechanism of immunity that is allowing us to have a defense against bacterial infection,” Merbl explained. “It’s happening throughout our body in all the cells and generates a whole new class of potential natural antibiotics.”

The research focused on a specific part of the cell called the proteasome, which breaks down old proteins into smaller pieces to recycle them for new ones.

Through various experiments, scientists found that the proteasome can also detect bacterial infections within a cell. It then responds by altering its structure and function, transforming old proteins into weapons capable of piercing the outer layer of bacteria to eliminate them.

Lindsey Edwards, a senior lecturer in microbiology at King’s College London, referred to the discovery as a “potential goldmine.”

She told the BBC: “It’s a potential goldmine for new antibiotics; that’s quite exciting. In previous years, it’s been digging up soil (to find new antibiotics); it is wild that it’s something we have within us, but it comes down to having the technology to be able to detect these things.”