They tested several bacteria that are resistant to existing antibiotics.
Antibiotics are very important to modern medical care. Many antibiotics kill bacteria by preventing them from forming cell walls. The rupture of the outer membrane eventually leads to cell death. However, antibiotic resistance, which is not effective at killing bacteria, is becoming a growing global problem.
In a paper published in the journal PNAS, a group of researchers introduced a new set of compounds that might be used as antibiotics in the future. Some antibiotics work by targeting and binding specific lipid molecules called lipid II in the cell membrane. Professor Birgitta Henriques Normark of the Department of Microbiology said: “We have identified the first small antibacterial compound that works by binding to this lipid molecule. In our research, we did not find mutants of resistant bacteria. Very promising," Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, in a press release.
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The research team has developed a new type of antibacterial molecule that can fight microorganisms that are resistant to existing antibiotics. In the experiment, the small molecule named THCz has an antibacterial effect on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The team tested it against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA), Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), and Penicillin-resistant pneumococcus (PNSP). They also tested the bacteria that can cause gonorrhea and tuberculosis. In the laboratory environment, they did not see any of the bacteria they tested became resistant to THCz.
The researchers hope to modify the molecule so that it can pass through the cell membrane of "multidrug-resistant" bacteria. They can also try to adjust it to reduce side effects when used as a treatment in the future. "The advantage of small molecules like this is that they are more prone to chemical changes," said Fredrik Almqvist, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Umeå University, in a press release. "We hope to be able to change THCz, thereby enhancing the antibacterial effect and reducing any negative effects on human cells."
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