![]() ![]() “We now have the prospect of a new class of antibiotics becoming available that is also effective against resistant bacteria.” ![]() “We’re confident this will significantly slow down the development of antibacterial resistance,” says Zerbe. When choosing the most promising peptides for their study, the researchers made sure that they would also be effective against bacteria that have already developed resistance to thanatin. However, further preclinical studies are needed before the first tests in humans can begin. “They are also highly effective against carbapenem-resistant enterobacteria, where most other antibiotics fail.” In addition, the newly developed peptides aren’t toxic or harmful to the kidneys, and they also proved stable in the blood over a longer period – all of which are properties that are required for gaining approval as a drug. “The novel antibiotics proved very effective, especially for treating lung infections,” says Zerbe. The synthetic peptides were then tested in mice with bacterial infections – and yielded outstanding results. Effective, safe, and immune to resistance Further mutations were made to increase the molecule’s stability, among other things. Using this information, researchers from Spexis AG planned the chemical modifications that were necessary to boost the peptide’s antibacterial effects. His team synthetically assembled the various components of the bacterial transport bridge and then used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to visualize where and how thanatin binds to and disrupts the transport bridge. “To do this, structural analyses were essential,” says Zerbe. The researchers therefore modified the chemical structure of thanatin to enhance the peptide’s characteristics. However, thanatin isn’t suitable for use as an antibiotic drug, among other things due to its low effectiveness and because bacteria quickly become resistant to it. As a result, these metabolites build up inside the cells, and the bacteria perish. Thanatin disrupts an important lipopolysaccharide transport bridge between the outer and inner membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, as revealed a few years ago in a study by now-retired UZH professor John Robinson. The starting point for the researchers’ study was a naturally occurring peptide called thanatin, which insects use to fend off infections. Besides the UZH team, researchers from the pharmaceutical company Spexis AG were also involved in the study as part of a collaboration co-funded by Innosuisse. The group, whose resistance is particularly high due to their double cell membrane, includes carbapenem-resistant enterobacteria, for example. The WHO classifies this group of bacteria as extremely dangerous. In a study recently published in Science Advances, Zerbe now discusses the development of a highly effective class of antibiotics that fight Gram-negative bacteria in a novel way. “It’s been more than 50 years since the last antibiotics against previously unused target molecules were approved.” “Unfortunately, the development pipeline for new antibiotics is fairly empty,” says chemist Oliver Zerbe, head of the NMR facilities at the University of Zurich. The development of new antibiotics is critically necessary to guarantee the successful treatment of bacterial infections in patients. A team of scientists from the University of Zurich and the company Spexis have adapted the chemical structure of naturally found peptides to create antimicrobial substances that attach to new targets in bacterial metabolism.Įach year, over five million people globally succumb to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. There’s a pressing demand for fresh antibiotics among healthcare experts to combat resistant bacteria. The synthetic peptides have demonstrated effectiveness, safety, and resistance to bacterial immunity in mice tests, bringing the potential for a new type of antibiotic that can combat resistant strains. Researchers at the University of Zurich and Spexis have re-engineered the chemical structure of a natural peptide, thanatin, to develop a new class of antibiotics capable of combating resistant bacteria. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |