This is certainly a very interesting approach. But it still has the same risk we're facing with antibiotics today, development of resistance. It is after all a protein that will target some sort of bacterial antigen. And if we have learned anything from the mistakes of the past, it is that these bacteria are super smart and they will mutate and develop resistance at some point in time.
I think one way to fight this would be to do what we are trying now with antibiotics : Using a combination of antibiotics to prevent development of resistance. It took us years to realize this strategy with antibiotics by which time lot of our great antibiotics like were already rendered useless by the bacteria.
But now that we already have this strategy, I think it would be very wise to implement the same here with these antimicrobial peptides. What i think would be a wise step is to wait a little longer before starting to use WLBU2 already and maybe try and engineer a few more of these peptides, each targeting different antigens on the bacterial membranes and then declare war on the bacteria!!!
Would love to hear whether you agree on it or if you think this might not yet be possible.
Not necessarily. Its mechanism is very different from how antibiotics work it would seem.
No, but micro-evolution is fast!
By your above logic that won't matter, just as combination antibiotic therapies don't stop the development of resistances.
I am not 100% certain how the cationic peptide works, but it would appear somewhat nonspecifically based on surface charge. As such I don't think the bacteria can evolve that away quickly.
Thank you for the corrections :)
I wasn't really correcting just chatting :)
Hahaha but I learnt something new!!! Always great chatting with more learned people!!
Cheers!!