Scientists Hail New Antibiotic That Can Kill Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Researchers have found a new type of antibiotic that seems capable of killing drug-resistant bacteria. The bacteria, which doesn’t respond well to many medicines is one of three that has proven to be especially tough to handle.

The newly discovered antibiotic, called Zosurabalpin, was successful in tests with mice in fighting against tough strains of a bacteria known as Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (Crab). These mice had infections such as pneumonia and sepsis. Now, scientists are checking if Zosurabalpin works in human trials.

The World Health Organization has marked Crab as a top-priority threat, along with two other drug-resistant bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae.

Crab is a major cause of infections in hospitals

Crab is a major source of infections in hospitals, especially for individuals using ventilators, explained Dr. Andrew Edwards, a senior lecturer in molecular microbiology at Imperial College London, who was not part of the study.

Even though it’s normally not a highly aggressive germ, it puts up a tough fight against many types of antibiotics, which makes treating it quite a challenge, Dr. Edwards further added.

A potent antibiotic has emerged in the battle against deadly, drug-resistant superbugs

The antibiotic Zosurabalpin has defeated strains of pneumonia and sepsis in mice, raising hopes for human trials. pic.twitter.com/EyQcrOBnYh

— V.O.H (@Knot73211261) January 4, 2024

Creating new treatments for this bacterium has been very tough. It’s skilled at blocking antibiotics from entering its outer cell layer. That’s why this study is genuinely thrilling and provides confidence that the methods used to discover new antibiotics are effective, according to Dr. Edwards.

Infections that don’t respond to antibiotics are a pressing danger to human health. This is especially true for infections caused by a large group of bacteria called Gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria have a protective outer shell containing a substance called lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as reported by The Guardian.

Zosurabalpin killed Crab-induced pneumonia in mice

In a set of experiments detailed in the journal Nature, Professor Daniel Kahne at Harvard University in Cambridge, US and his team demonstrated that the drug stops LPS from reaching the outer membrane of the bacterium, leading to its demise.

Additionally, they observed that Zosurabalpin significantly decreased the bacteria levels in mice with pneumonia caused by Crab and prevented the death of those with sepsis also related to Crab.

Dr. Michael Lobritz, the global head of infectious diseases at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development in Basel, Switzerland, said, “This is the first time we’ve found anything that operates in this way, so it is unique in its chemical makeup and mechanism of action.”

There hasn’t been approval for a new antibiotic for Gram-negative bacteria in over fifty years. Roche had recognized Zosurabalpin’s ability to halt the growth of A baumannii, but its mode of action and effectiveness in animals with Crab-related infections were previously unclear, according to The Guardian.