21 Nov 2025
Antibiotic pressures can unintentionally fuel the rise of drug-resistant pathogens in the gut
Researchers at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology in collaboration with researchers at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford are investigating how the enrichment of Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) in the gut following antibiotics alters the colonic immune landscape. Kp is a leading antibiotic-resistant pathogen and the third most common cause of deadly AMR-related infections.
Our in vivo studies revealed that:
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Antibiotics disrupt the gut microbiota, eliminating beneficial bacteria that normally prevent colonisation by opportunistic pathogens.
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Resistant strains of Kp can bloom under antibiotic pressure, altering the colonic immune landscape and increasing neutrophil-driven inflammation.
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Kp colonisation varies across microbiome models, with strong colonisation resistance observed in mice with intact microbial communities.
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Translocation of Kp to the lungs was detected, raising concerns about systemic infection risk.
Next steps include developing an intranasal infection model to explore how antibiotic blooms in the gut may influence secondary lung infections.
This research, led by Dr Ffion Hammond and supervised by Prof Dame Fiona Powrie and Dr Claire Pearson, highlights the complex interplay between antibiotics, the microbiome and immune response, and the urgent need for targeted strategies to prevent AMR spread.
This research is funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) Programme Grant Scheme under the reference number EP/V026623/1.
