Scientists have discovered an altogether new way to combat harmful bacteria. The standard response is to use antibiotics, but this new procedure seeks to enhance the body’s existing capabilities to fight bacteria. A new study has found that the presence of fragments of thrombin in blood plasma enhances the aggregation of bacteria and their toxins. This occurs at a rapid pace, allowing the bacteria and their toxins to be eaten up by the body’s inflammatory cells. Speaking about the new discovery, Professor at Lund University in Sweden Jitka Petrlova said, “Perhaps we do not need to kill them with antibiotics but simply gather them so that the body can better take care of the infection. This way, the body avoids the spread of the infection. We believe this to be a fundamental mechanism for taking care of both bacteria and their toxins during wound healing.”
However, the new technique to fight bacteria will need refinements since aggregating proteins have also been linked with amyloid disease, in skin or internal organs, such as the brain. It’s basically a double-edged sword that needs to be handled with care. “I have always been fascinated by how nature has effectively created different defense mechanisms, and wound healing provides a rich source of new discoveries,” said Artur Schmidtchen, also a Professor at Lund University.