Spanish science has found the key to defeating the most common stomach bacteria in the world

The CSIC study is developing a genomic technology that can accurately predict the resistance of Helicobacter pylori bacteria.

Spanish scientists have found the key to defeating the world's most common stomach bacteria

The CSIC study will develop a genomic technique that accurately predicts the antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori, opening the door to personalized treatments.

Madrid - Posted on

3 months to learn

More than half of the world's population has a silent host in their stomach: the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.Although this disease is not considered by many people, this chronic disease is the most common in humans and can increase the risk of developing gastritis, peptic ulcer and, in the worst case, stomach cancer.Its treatment is necessary to avoid complications, but it presents an important obstacle: treatment failure.

So far, treatments to eradicate the virus have failed in about 25% of cases, and experts say the problem is largely due to antibiotic resistance.To address this challenge, a team of Spanish scientists led by the Institute of Biomedical Research of Valencia (IBV) of the Higher Scientific Research Council (CSIC) has developed an innovative method based on genomics that is expected to revolutionize the way we fight this bacterium.

Genetic diagnosis is highly accurate

The new method moves away from traditional methods that require bacteria to grow in the laboratory, a slow and complicated process.Instead, researchers focus on the genetic material of microorganisms."In our project, we investigate whether the genomic DNA of bacteria is resistant to certain antibiotics. We use genomic sequencing to identify specific mutations that cause resistance," explains IBV's CCIC Research Professor and leader of the study, Enaki Comas.

This approach has been uniquely effective." The study showed that it is possible to predict with 100% certainty resistance to clarithromycin and levofloxacin, two main antibiotics in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori", emphasizes Francisco José Martínez, doctor researcher at the IBV-CSIC and one of the main authors of that work, the genetic team was able to create these discoveries.which allows rapid and accurate diagnosis without the need for cultures

"It is possible to predict resistance to clarithromycin and levofloxacin with 100% accuracy."

The end of the crop is complicated

The traditional method of testing bacterial resistance, known as bacterial culture, has always been a challenge for laboratories. Not only is this procedure difficult to perform for H. pylori, but its results are often difficult to reproduce, which can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and inappropriate treatment for patients.

"The main advantage of this method is that it avoids the development of bacteria, which is very difficult to do in the case of Helicobacter pylori," said Álvaro Chiner, researcher at the Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (Fisabio) and the main author.Although a sample is needed to detect the germs, "there is no need to do additional cultures to detect resistance, which saves time and money."

The main advantage of this method is that it avoids the cultivation of bacteria."

A universal tool for future medicine

The use of this technique can have an immediate impact on clinical practice."[This technology] can be used in clinical diagnostics to choose the most appropriate treatment from the start," says Iñaki Comas.The gradual application of genetic sequencing in hospitals, which is fast because of the Covid-19 epidemic, will facilitate the introduction of this type of analysis for H. pylori, allowing more personalized and effective treatment.

In addition to individualized treatment, the method is a powerful tool for public health."It is also useful for the epidemiological monitoring of antibiotic resistance and the development of new therapeutic strategies," added Comas. In the long term, the researchers hope that this advance will reduce treatment failures and improve the control of Helicobacter pylori infections worldwide.

The study, published in the prestigious journal The Lancet Microbe, is the result of an international consortium involving CSIC and Fisabio, as well as institutions from France, Japan and the United States.The project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, brings together the leadership of Spanish science in the fight against bacterial resistance.

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