MIT Finds Protein That Kills Superbugs and Heals Gut

Your body already has a secret weapon against dangerous bacteria, and scientists just figured out how it works.

MIT researchers discovered that a protein called intelectin-2, naturally produced in our intestines, performs double duty protecting our gut. First, it strengthens the mucus layer that shields our digestive system from harmful microbes. Then, if bacteria break through, the protein traps and kills them by disrupting their cell membranes.

The discovery came as a surprise to Laura Kiessling, chemistry professor at MIT, and her team. While studying how proteins interact with sugars, they found that intelectin-2 binds to galactose, a sugar found both in protective mucus and on bacterial surfaces.

This dual action makes intelectin-2 remarkably effective. The protein reinforces the gut's natural barrier while simultaneously acting as a backup defense system if that barrier gets breached.

What makes this finding even more exciting is the protein's broad reach. Tests showed it works against many types of bacteria, including notorious superbugs like Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae that resist traditional antibiotics.

The protein appears to affect both harmful and beneficial gut bacteria. In healthy people, intelectin-2 levels stay balanced, but patients with inflammatory bowel disease often have abnormally high or low amounts.

The Bright Side

This discovery opens two promising pathways for future treatments. Doctors could potentially use intelectin-2 as a new weapon against antibiotic-resistant infections that currently have few treatment options.

The protein could also help people with inflammatory bowel disease. By restoring normal intelectin-2 levels, doctors might strengthen patients' damaged mucus barriers and reduce inflammation.

The research team is particularly excited because they're working with a protein the body already uses naturally. Rather than introducing foreign substances, future treatments would harness and enhance the immune defenses already inside us.

Kiessling explains the power of this approach: taking advantage of proteins our bodies already use to protect against pathogens opens fundamentally new strategies to combat disease.

The team published their findings in Nature Communications and continues exploring how to develop intelectin-2 into practical therapies.

After decades of bacteria growing resistant to antibiotics, scientists may have found an answer hiding in plain sight inside our own digestive system.