Teaching an old drug new tricks
In 10 seconds? Among new ways to fight back against antibiotic resistance (like using bacteria from ants), scientists have improved the drug vancomycin to become 1000 times more potent than before. (Discover the science here)
Why is this a breakthrough? The over-use of antibiotics is getting us to a point where we will have no defence against dangerous infections. Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute have managed to add a third chemical modification to vancomycin making it ultra-strong against bacteria. (Find out more)
How did they do it? In addition to two prior modifications to this 60 year-old antibiotic, this revised drug targets the cell walls of bacteria in a novel way — a combination of increasing permeability and binding of the drug to the bacterial target. Because of this, resistance to the drug is likely to emerge slowly, if at all. Crucially, it has been shown to be safe in human cells, even at very high doses. (Read more here)
When will it hit the clinic? The new drug has yet to go through clinical trials, so it will be at least five years before it may be prescribed by doctors.
And did I hear something about ants? Yes, the humble ant could also help to fight off superbugs. Researchers at the University of East Anglia have identified an African species of ant that uses bacteria to fend off microbes and fungi. The antibiotic secreted by them has had promising lab results against the types of MRSA strains plaguing hospitals.
What else is being done? The urgency has caused a revival in antimicrobial research. For example, scientists have recently discovered a previously unknown class of antibiotic in bacteria inhabiting the human nose. Meanwhile, over 100 major biotech, pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies have formed an alliance to ensure progress in fighting antimicrobial resistance.
How is antibiotic resistance formed?Before the discovery of pencillin in 1928 infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis or even ones resulting from small injuries – could cause death.
The development of antibiotics created a belief that infectious diseases would be completely eradicated. However, their increased use as human medication and as growth-promoting agents in farm animals (now banned) has massively escalated drug resistance.
In a 2014 review paper, the British government warned that by 2050 antimicrobial resistance could cause more deaths per year than cancer.
This research was curated by Karolina Punovuori,
Sparrho Hero and academic researcher affiliated with the University of Edinburgh specialising in stem cell biology. Find out more about the fight against the Antibiotic Apocalypse on Karolina’s Sparrho board.
