As of: February 19, 2024, 2:14 p.m
By: Martina Lippl
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Antibiotic resistance is a deadly threat.
A team of US scientists reported a new antibiotic.
It even destroys hospital germs.
Havard – Bacterial infections can be life-threatening.
However, antibiotic resistance is increasing.
It's a race against time.
Researchers at Harvard University (USA) have now developed a new antibiotic.
It is supposed to help against multi-resistant super germs.
Cresomycin can kill many strains of drug-resistant bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the team led by study leader Andrew Myers said in a press release about the results, published in the journal
Science
.
Hospital germs are feared by hospital staff and patients (symbolic photo).
© Patrick Pleul/dpa
The Harvard announcement even calls it a “weapon against super germs”.
It was only in January 2024 that the US university reported in a study about a new active ingredient called zosurabalpine against highly resistant bacterial strains Acinetobacter baumannii.
Researchers are developing new antibiotics against multi-resistant germs
According to experts, multi-resistant super-germs are a global danger.
Millions of people die every year because antibiotics don't work to treat their infections.
The search for substances against dangerous bacteria is a herculean task.
A research team from Bonn discovered a completely new antibiotic.
Initial results gave cause for hope.
There was even talk of a “game changer”.
The artificially produced molecule cresomycin is now apparently another promising active ingredient against multi-resistant bacteria (superbugs).
Clinical studies are to follow.
“We do not yet know whether cresomycin and similar drugs are safe and effective in humans.
“But our results show significantly improved inhibitory effectiveness compared to clinically approved antibiotics against a long list of pathogenic bacterial strains that kill more than a million people every year,” said study leader Andrew Myers.
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Harvard researchers: Molecule stops mechanism of known antibiotic resistance
Many classic antibiotics attack bacteria via ribosomes in order to destroy them.
The so-called ribosomes produce important proteins in the cells.
However, some bacteria have developed a mechanism against ribosome-targeting antibiotics.
They simply continue to reproduce by expressing genes that make enzymes (ribosomal RNA methyltransferases).
These enzymes intercept components of the drug that are supposed to attach to ribosomes and destroy them.
Ultimately, this blocks the effect of the antibiotic.
Harvard researchers are developing new antibiotics against deadly bacteria: in a model, cresomycin is bound to the bacterial ribosome of Thermus thermophilus.
© YURY POLIKANOV/UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO
According to the research team, cresomycin is able to overcome this defense mechanism of the bacteria.
The new molecule has an improved ability to bind to bacterial ribosomes.
Cremoycin demonstrated “remarkably robust efficacy” against several resistant bacteria – including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Multi-resistant germs are dangerous
After promising results in laboratory culture tests and in an animal experiment in a mouse model, clinical studies are now to follow.
Hospital infections are a problem.
In Germany, 400,000 to 600,000 patients develop hospital infections every year.
The Federal Ministry of Health reports that around 10,000 to 20,000 people die from it.
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