Long-Term Study Reveals Resilience of Gut Bacteria to Antibiotics

A long-term study has found that antibiotic resistance genes are giving gut bacteria an advantage, allowing them to remain resilient against antibiotics. The study, involving patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, revealed that the gut microbiomes spontaneously reestablished dominance of friendly bacteria after initial disruption by antibiotics. The state of the patient's gut microbiome was linked to recovery from tuberculosis-driven inflammation, with certain bacterial species associated with faster drop in inflammation. Further tests in mice showed that resistance genes acquired by the microbiomes persisted even after antibiotic treatments ceased, suggesting potential for countering antibiotic-resistant pathogens.