Lab-Grown Brain Tissue Is Revolutionizing How Scientists Study Deadly Neurological Diseases

Australian scientists have developed a groundbreaking approach to combat deadly, drug-resistant bacteria by creating antibodies that recognize a sugar molecule found exclusively on bacterial cells—not human ones. This breakthrough could lead to new immunotherapies for multidrug-resistant hospital infections that kill thousands each year.

The research, published in Nature Chemical Biology, demonstrates how a laboratory-made antibody successfully cleared an otherwise lethal bacterial infection in mice. The team was co-led by Professor Richard Payne from the University of Sydney, working with researchers from WEHI and the University of Melbourne.

What Makes This Bacterial Target So Special?

The key to this breakthrough lies in a sugar molecule called pseudaminic acid. While it looks similar to sugars found on human cells, this molecule is produced exclusively by bacteria and serves as an essential component of their outer protective coats. Because humans don't make this sugar, it represents a highly specific target for new treatments.

"This study shows what's possible when we combine chemical synthesis with biochemistry, immunology, microbiology and infection biology," said Professor Richard Payne from the University of Sydney. "By precisely building these bacterial sugars in the lab with synthetic chemistry, we were able to understand their shape at the molecular level and develop antibodies that bind them with high specificity."

How Did Scientists Create These Targeted Antibodies?

The research team took a methodical approach to developing their bacterial-fighting antibodies. First, they chemically synthesized the bacterial sugar and sugar-decorated peptides from scratch in the laboratory. This allowed them to determine the exact three-dimensional structure of the molecule and understand how it appears on bacterial surfaces.

Using these insights, they developed what they call a "pan-specific" antibody—meaning it can recognize the target sugar across multiple bacterial species and strains. The approach involves several key steps:

• Chemical Synthesis: Scientists built the bacterial sugar molecules from scratch in the laboratory to understand their precise structure
• Molecular Mapping: Researchers determined how these sugars are arranged and presented on bacterial surfaces
• Antibody Development: The team created antibodies that could specifically bind to these bacterial sugars with high precision
• Cross-Species Testing: Scientists verified the antibodies work against multiple dangerous bacterial strains

What Results Did the Mouse Studies Show?

In mouse infection models, the antibody successfully eliminated multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, a notorious cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia and bloodstream infections. This particular bacteria is considered a critical threat in healthcare facilities worldwide because infections often resist even last-line antibiotics.

"Multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is a critical threat faced in modern healthcare facilities across the globe," said Professor Ethan Goddard-Borger from WEHI. "It is not uncommon for infections to resist even last-line antibiotics. Our work serves as a powerful proof-of-concept experiment that opens the door to the development of new life-saving passive immunotherapies."

The approach uses passive immunotherapy, which involves giving patients ready-made antibodies to rapidly control an infection rather than waiting for their immune system to respond. This strategy could protect vulnerable patients in intensive care units both therapeutically and preventively.

Over the next five years, the research team aims to translate these laboratory findings into clinic-ready antibody therapies. Success would effectively address one of the most dangerous members of the ESKAPE pathogens—a group of bacteria responsible for the majority of hospital-acquired infections worldwide.