مقالات پذیرفته شده در نهمین کنگره بین المللی زیست پزشکی
CRISPR/Cas Technology: a promising player against bacterial infection and antibiotic resistance
CRISPR/Cas Technology: a promising player against bacterial infection and antibiotic resistance
Moein Iranmanesh,1Yosof Tarverdizadeh,2Abbas Hajizade,3,*
1. Biology Research Center, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran 2. Biology Research Center, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran 3. Biology Research Center, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran
Introduction: The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to both human health and ecological stability. In order to combat antimicrobial resistance, it is essential to explore new strategies when the current antibiotics fail to be effective. These AMR pathogens include the WHO's top 6 prioritized ESKAPE pathogens (nosocomial pathogens: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.), extended-spectrum beta lactases (ESBLs) and carbapenemase-producing E. coli, which pose major challenges to the biomagnification of both nonnative and native antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Methods: The revolutionary approach of CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associate protein) offers a promising strategy against bacterial infection and antibiotic resistance. This system, which functions as a bacterial adaptive immune system, can be achieved through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, which allows for the targeted and specific removal of resistance genes from bacterial genomes. Different bacteria possessing antibiotic resistance genes such as mecA, ermB, ramR, tetA and mqrB that have been targeted by CRISPR/Cas9 to re-sensitize these pathogens against antibiotics, such as methicillin, erythromycin, tigecycline, colistin and carbapenem, respectively.
Results: The CRISPR/Cas system is a powerful tool for elucidating the mechanisms underlying antimicrobial resistance. By utilizing CRISPR-based techniques, researchers can investigate the genetic and biochemical pathways that confer resistance, paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies. Although there is an emergent need for the development of new antibiotics and alternative treatments that can circumvent existing resistance, however, careful consideration of ecological impacts, regulatory frameworks, and public perception is essential for its successful application.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the article highlights the urgent challenge posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to human health and the environment, particularly through the rise of resistant pathogens such as the WHO's ESKAPE group. The CRISPR/Cas system emerges as a revolutionary tool in the fight against bacterial infections and AMR, enabling precise genome editing to target and eliminate resistance genes from bacteria.