Scientists have developed a new 'shape-shifting' antibiotic to fight drug-resistant bacteria, but it hasn't been tested in humans yet.
The spread of drug-resistant"superbugs" — including bacteria that have evolved to thwart even the most potent antibiotics — represents an ever-growing threat to public health. Now, scientists have invented a new type of antibiotic that can take down these germs by rapidly rearranging its atoms and thus changing its shape.
To make the new antibiotic, the researchers used"click chemistry" — highly efficient chemical reactions that can quickly and reliably"click" different chemical building blocks together, like the two halves of a seat-belt buckle. The study's senior author, John Moses , a professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, studied these ultrafast reactions under the guidance of K.
The team's new antibiotic essentially clicks together an existing antibiotic called vancomycin with a molecule called bullvalene, whose atoms can easily swap positions and thus arrange themselves in more than a million possible configurations, according to a CSHL statement . This atom-juggling molecule served as the perfect core for the team's new antibiotic. Two vancomycin"warheads" are attached to this shape-shifting core, with one on each end.
In the new study, when the wax moth larvae were given no treatment, about 90% died within a week of being infected with VRE. When they were given a standard dose of vancomycin, the moths' one-week survival rate went from 10% to 40%. But when they were given the new shape-shifting drug, their survival rate jumped to 70%. For context, about 70% of healthy larvae given either drug survived to the seventh day.
日本 最新ニュース, 日本 見出し
Similar News:他のニュース ソースから収集した、これに似たニュース記事を読むこともできます。
Scientists unravel the mystery behind ‘X-shape’ of DNAThe shape is primarily due to a protein known as shugoshin, which means 'guardian spirit' in Japanese.
続きを読む »
Scientists Have Created Bio-Printed “Patches” That Can Mend Broken HeartsIn a landmark achievement, scientists from The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have shown that bio-engineered heart tissues can assist patients in recovering from the harm caused by a severe heart attack, in a safe and efficient manner. The results of the study have been published in the leadi
続きを読む »
Scientists discover new circuit element called ‘meminductor’The invention of electrical circuit elements dates back 200 years, but this discovery could help us make a leap.
続きを読む »
Cause of grey hair may be 'stuck' cells, say scientistsAs people age, pigment-making cells lose their ability to mature and maintain hair colour, research suggests.
続きを読む »
Scientists engineer the first light-powered yeastResearchers have made one type of yeast a little less dependent on carbs by enabling it to use light as energy.
続きを読む »
Scientists identify mind-body nexus in human brainThe relationship between the human mind and body has been a subject that has challenged great thinkers for millennia, including the philosophers Aristotle and Descartes. The answer, however, appears to reside in the very structure of the brain.
続きを読む »