Cattle didn't cry: mycoplasma-killing drug will reduce farmers' losses from animal diseases

Russian scientists are developing a new antibiotic for farm animals that will selectively affect mycoplasma infection without disturbing the body's natural microflora. Currently, broad-spectrum drugs are used to combat such bacteria, which destroy not only pathogenic, but also beneficial microorganisms. Livestock does not tolerate such treatment well, which leads to losses for farmers. According to farmers, they are very interested in solving this problem. However, the demand for a new drug will mainly depend on its economic characteristics.

An antibiotic for agriculture

RUDN University specialists are working on a new antibiotic for farm animals that will destroy mycoplasma infection without affecting the beneficial microflora. Currently, to combat the pathogen, it is necessary to use broad-spectrum drugs that suppress both harmful and beneficial bacteria. This negatively affects the condition of livestock and leads to losses for farmers. Scientists have artificially synthesized one of the mycoplasma enzymes that will act as a target for a new drug, and are now selecting the most effective molecule to suppress it. According to the developers, the drug is planned to be launched on the market within the next few years.

— We have created a system for obtaining recombinant transcription proteins of mycoplasma. This made it possible to obtain its RNA polymerase, which is now used as a target molecule in small molecule library screening experiments. A number of promising bacterial transcription inhibitors are expected to be selected in the near future, one of which will form the basis of the drug being developed," said Timur Fatkhudinov, director of the RUDN Research Institute of Molecular and Cellular Medicine.

According to the scientists, the antibiotic will bind to the mycoplasma enzyme that synthesizes RNA and block its work in the cell. Due to the specific structure of the microbe, it will exhibit specificity only for this bacterium, but not for other microorganisms. This property will allow the drug to selectively fight infection only, without affecting the beneficial microflora in the infected body. This will have a positive impact on the economic performance of the use of medicines in agriculture.

— The direction of developing antibiotics for use in agriculture seems extremely promising, since this sector remains the main consumer of such drugs in the world. It is a globally growing market, especially in the poultry and egg production segment. It should be noted that it is much easier for developers of veterinary pharmaceutical products to license their products compared to drugs for humans," Timur Fatkhudinov added.

The size of the global agricultural market and lower registration barriers determine the economic attractiveness of such projects.

Economic indicators

According to Roman Kostyuk, executive director of the National Association of Cattle Breeders, animal breeders are interested in new effective medicines for mycoplasma, but their demand will depend on economic indicators.

— Mycoplasma is a very unpleasant infection. The demand for such an antibiotic will depend on its effectiveness and cost. Cattle producers are interested in animal health and it is important what advantages a new drug has compared to competitors," he told Izvestia.

According to the head of the Smart Supply Chain segment of the FoodNet working Group Sergey Kosogor's NTI, mycoplasma infection, the causative agent of enzootic pneumonia in pigs, is a serious problem due to its constant presence and economic losses. Its solution with the help of a new drug will make it possible to avoid broad-spectrum antibiotics. The proposed remedy can ensure the welfare of animals and preserve their productivity.

According to the expert, today almost all pathogenic bacteria demonstrate resistance to antimicrobial drugs. This problem not only negatively affects animal health, but also poses risks to sustainable food production and, in the long run, to human health. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae can secrete extracellular DNA, which allows the organism to form biofilms on the surfaces of the host organism. This makes the pathogen more resistant to antimicrobial drugs and the host's immune response.

— The proposed treatment approach is important for the agricultural industry in the fight against the growing antimicrobial drug resistance in livestock. It will selectively affect pathogens and help preserve the intestinal microbiota of animals. However, from a practical point of view, it is important to understand the cost of the drug, the ease of its production, transportation and form of administration, as well as the possibility of combining with other drugs. Solving these issues will determine the commercial success of the project," said Sergey Kosogor.

According to Maria Andreeva, Chairman of the Veterinary Committee of the Russian Equestrian Federation, mycoplasma is a common infection and veterinarians really need drugs for its treatment. The pathogen is especially common in goats. Now, after treatment with complex antibiotics with a wide spectrum of action, the animal has to undergo a course of microflora restoration using feeds and probiotics.

According to Renat Volkov, Head of the Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology at the Kazan State Agrarian University's Kazan Bauman Institute of Veterinary Medicine, the structural features of RNA polymerase in mycoplasma differ from those of other bacteria and higher organisms. This suggests that the found inhibitor will act selectively against mycoplasma, without affecting the beneficial intestinal microflora and cells of the animal itself. If this is confirmed, the new antibiotic will be able to solve the problem of dysbiosis and related economic losses that are inevitable today when using broad-spectrum drugs.

The need for a new drug is very high, since with prolonged and widespread use of antibiotics, mycoplasmas develop resistance to them. As a result, the effectiveness of treatment decreases over time, and it becomes increasingly difficult to find a working regimen, said Alexander Lunegov, head of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine.