Pointed out that even ``antimicrobial peptides'' that are not antibiotics can cause drug-resistant bacteria

Heavy use of antibiotics is known to promote the evolution of 'antibiotic-resistant bacteria'. Antibacterial peptides , which exert a bactericidal action by a mechanism different from that of antibiotics, are attracting attention as a sterilization method that can suppress the occurrence of resistant bacteria. It was shown that the evolution of fungi may be promoted.

The evolution of colistin resistance increases bacterial resistance to host antimicrobial peptides and virulence |
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.84395

Antimicrobial use in agriculture can breed bacteria resistant to first-line human defenses | University of Oxford
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2023-04-25-antimicrobial-use-agriculture-can-breed-bacteria-resistant-first-line-human-defences

Antibiotics suppress the growth of bacteria by inhibiting bacterial DNA synthesis and protein production, but there is also a risk that the frequent use of antibiotics will promote the evolution of resistant bacteria . On the other hand, since antimicrobial peptides directly attack the cell membrane of bacteria, it was thought that unlike antibiotics, they could suppress the emergence of resistant bacteria.

However, in 2015, the existence of the gene ``mcr-1'' that causes resistance to `` colistin '', a type of antimicrobial peptide, was confirmed , and the use of antimicrobial peptides may also promote the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria. was shown.

A research team at the University of Oxford is investigating the relationship between the colistin resistance gene ``mcr-1'' and drug resistance, and ``E. exposed to antimicrobial peptides known to play a role. As a result, it was revealed that ``E.coli with mcr-1'' has a 62% increase in resistance to antimicrobial peptides compared to ``E.coli without mcr-1''.

In addition, 'E. coli with mcr-1' has twice the resistance to human serum compared to 'E. coli without mcr-1', and the lethality rate doubles when administered to moth larvae. also turned out.

Professor Craig McLean, a member of the research team, said, ``The use of antimicrobial peptides increases the resistance of pathogens to antimicrobial peptides. It provides strong evidence that it is necessary to properly evaluate the

In 2016, it was confirmed that 'mcr-1' also exists in Japan.

Confirmed that mcr-1, a gene that is resistant to ``colistin'', which WHO positions as an extremely important antibacterial drug, also exists in Japan | Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
https://www.amed.go.jp/news/release_20160108.html