New Part of Immune System Discovered Which Scientists Call ‘A Goldmine of Potential Antibiotics’

A new part of the immune system has been discovered, which the scientists call a gold mine of potential antibiotics. The study was published in the science journal Nature after a series of experiments conducted by researchers in Israel. The study will transform our understanding of how we acquire our immunity against infection-causing antigens.

Prof. Yifat Merbl of the Weizmann Institute of Science told reporters of international media that, “This is really exciting because we never knew that this was happening. We discovered a normal mechanism of immunity that allows us to defend ourselves against bacterial infection. It’s happening throughout our body in all the cells and generates a pool of a new class of potential natural antibiotics.”

The Experiment

A part of our human body, known to recycle protein, has a secret mode that can produce an arsenal of bacteria-killing chemicals. It is a tiny structure that is found in every cell of our body, the proteasome. Its main role is to chop up old protein into smaller pieces fit for recycling.

The new study shows that the proteasome detects when a cell has been infected by bacteria. As a response, the tiny structure changes its structure and role and starts transforming old proteins into weapons that can rip open the outer layer of the bacteria, eventually killing it.