Antibiotics have been saving people from near-fatal infections for over 90 years, but over time some bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Scientists believe that the overuse of antibiotics is the main cause of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
What this means is that there are now fewer antibiotics at our disposal for combatting bacterial infections, which could result in what’s called a “pre-antibiotic era.” In this pre-antibiotic era, the world would see a much higher mortality rate for infections. As a result, scientists are now studying alternatives to traditional antibiotics for fighting infection.
Helper compounds are one way to combat antibiotic resistance. These compounds are not antibiotics, but they can help an antibiotic work more effectively. Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark studied the effect of the helper compound, cannabidiol (CBD), which is a cannabinoid from the cannabis plant.
The researchers used CBD to enhance the antibiotic, bacitracin, against the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. This bacteria are resistant to multiple antibiotics and causes a high hospitalization rate around the world.
The researchers found that three things happened to the bacteria when treated with a combination of CBD and bacitracin:
- The bacteria couldn’t divide normally
- Decreased rate of autolysis (the bacteria were destroying fewer cells/tissues)
- The bacteria’s membrane became unstable
According to lead investigator and study author, Janne Kudsk Klitgaard, “If we combine an antibiotic with a helper compound, that enhances the effect of the antibiotic, we need less antibiotics to achieve the same effect. This may contribute to the development of fewer resistant bacteria.”
The study is published in the journal, Scientific Reports.