Researchers are investigating oyster "blood" as a potential new treatment for antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Image Credit: Southern Cross University

Health Australia 30. January 2025

Turns Out, Oysters Can Help Us Fight Bacteria

Recent tests have revealed that an antimicrobial protein found in oysters may increase the effectiveness of antibiotics.

“Anything that can prolong the lifespan of a current antibiotic … would be quite a sustainable solution to make what we have work for longer,” explains Sohinee Sarkar, an infectious disease researcher at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia.

Over time, bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens have evolved to resist antibiotics and antivirals, rendering many diseases increasingly challenging. Researchers in Australia set out to test the effectiveness of a protein found in oysters hemolymph, a liquid found in invertebrates similar to blood. They discovered that this oyster protein, used alongside traditional antibiotics, made the medicine 2 to 32 times more effective, depending on the illness. They even found that the oyster protein alone could kill Streptococcus pneumonia (which causes pneumonia) and Streptococcus pyogenes (which causes strep throat and scarlet fever) without the help of additional antibiotics. So far, the protein has only been tested in a laboratory, but in the future, it could become a viable option for occasions when antibiotics fail.

Source:
Smithsonian

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