There are several mechanisms by which bacteria become resistant to antibiotics according to a fascinating article in New Scientist and one of those ways occurs when the bacteria puts itself to “sleep” when an antibiotic is given. When the antibiotic is withdrawn, the bacteria reawakens and the infection recurs.

This kind of sleeper activity is regulated by a particular protein (HipA) called a “kinase” produced by the bacteria. As it turns out, a kinase changes the behavior of other proteins which can lead to cancer. Medical researcher Richard Brennan of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas is betting that using specific cancer treatment drugs that work by inhibiting these specific protein kinases, can be used to treat certain kinds of antibiotic resistance.

Their research will investigate whether resistance of certain strains of bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) is due to this type of dormancy.