A team of researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Professor Yifat Merbl, conducted a study in which they discovered an unexpected mechanism of the immune system that could offer new solutions to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.
Published in the prestigious journal Nature, the research revealed that certain peptides generated by the body itself in the process of protein degradation have a potent antibacterial capacity, functioning as natural antibiotics.
Cells in the human body constantly eliminate damaged or unnecessary proteins through the proteasome, a molecular complex responsible for their degradation and recycling.
The resulting fragments of this process, called peptides, could be used by the immune system to identify threats, and what's more, according to what the Weizmann Institute team found, some of these peptides have the ability to kill bacteria directly.
The experiments confirmed the effectiveness of these peptides in human cells and in mouse models of systemic infections.
The discovery could have key applications in patients with weakened immune systems, such as transplant recipients or cancer patients, and in a context where antibiotic resistance represents a global health crisis, this study could lay the groundwork for innovative therapies inspired by the body's natural mechanisms.