Novel Treatment May Reverse Antibiotic Resistance In Bacteria

Jan, 2022 - By SMI

Novel drug may help increase effectiveness of old antibiotics by drawing the attacks of superbugs.

A group of scientists at Ineos Oxford Institute at University of Oxford developed a novel and potential treatment that can reverse antibiotic resistance in bacteria causing conditions such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and sepsis. According the research published in the journal Nature Chemistry on December 13, 2021, the novel treatment could potentially help destroying the enzymes produces by bacteria for defending themselves against the medications.

The exceptional evolution of bacteria is very well known, which also improves their resistance to drugs. In this new research the scientists focused on improvement of antibiotics known as carbapenems, which are mostly used as last line of defense for treating infections that resist other drugs. Some of the bacteria have become resistant to even this barrier. They produce enzymes called as metallo-beta-lactamses (MBLs) to break through the barrier of carbapenems. The scientists tried to find a drug to target MBLs and restore functions of carbapenems. The scientists screened numerous chemicals of different types. They selected a group known as indole carboxylates and after observing it closely, it was found that this group imitated the biding sites of carbapenems. The MBLs interacted with these molecules rather than the drugs.

Furthermore, the team enhanced the indole carboxylates and tested them against carbapenem-resistant E. coli strains of bacteria in mice. The team combined the new drug with an existing drug known as meropenem. They found the combination to be more effective against the superbugs compared to the antibiotics. Moreover the combination worked at a lower dose. The results of this study could help in the development of new drugs to slow the increasing threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.