Life Sciences Seminar: Combating Antibiotic Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Life Sciences Seminar
Combating Antibiotic Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Dr. Samantha Palace
Research Associate
Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases
T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard University
Abstract:
Increasing antimicrobial resistance in the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae threatens the future of effective treatment for gonorrhea. Most treatment relies on ceftriaxone, an extended-spectrum cephalosporin, but reduced susceptibility to ceftriaxone has emerged in N. gonorrhoeae. With no clear next-line agent, this resistance is a problem of paramount clinical importance. In our lab, we use a collection of N. gonorrhoeae isolates from patients to understand the varied ways in which antimicrobial resistance arises in nature. We discovered a novel and unexpected mechanism of reduced ceftriaxone susceptibility in several of these isolates that previously had unexplained resistance phenotypes. While most resistance to ceftriaxone depends on variation in the cell wall biosynthesis machinery, and particularly in the ceftriaxone target penA, this novel mechanism acts via mutation in the RNA polymerase. We also used this diverse collection of N. gonorrhoeae isolates to look for new ways of treating resistant infections. We identified several naturally occurring compounds – certain types of bile salts and fatty acids – that rapidly and irreversibly kill even very drug resistant strains of N. gonorrhoeae. This work demonstrates the importance of understanding the basic biology of drug resistance in clinical N. gonorrhoeae populations to enhance effective monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of gonorrhea.
Intended Audience:
Beginners, undergraduates, graduates. Those with interest in the topic.
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