Chemists from Konstanz develop selective agents to combat infectious diseases – based on the structures of natural products
With multi-resistant germs becoming more and more of a threat, we are in need of new antibiotics now more than ever. Unfortunately, antibiotics cannot distinguish between pathogens and beneficial microbes. They can destroy the delicate balance of the microbiome – resulting in permanent damages. The research team around chemist Dr Thomas Böttcher has now made a significant step towards solving these problems. In collaboration with the team around biologist Professor Christof Hauck, also from Konstanz, the researchers discovered antibiotic properties of a natural product that so far had been considered merely a bacterial signal molecule. The team, including the doctoral researchers Dávid Szamosvári and Tamara Schuhmacher, developed and investigated synthetic derivatives of the natural substance that proved surprisingly efficient against the pathogen Moraxella catarrhalis. In the process only the growth of these pathogens was inhibited, not the growth of other bacteria. In a further project, the researchers succeed in developing another selective agent to combat the malaria parasite. These results might lead to a new basis for novel precision antibiotics. The research results are published in the current editions of the journals Chemical Science and Chemical Communications.
As important as antibiotics are to treat infectious diseases, they leave a trail of destruction in the human microbiome. Gastrointestinal disorders following antibiotic treatments are one of the slightest problems in this context. Quite often, resistant pathogens replace beneficial microbes. Later on, these can cause severe infectious diseases or chronic illnesses. However, not all microbes are dangerous. On the contrary, many microorganisms live in peaceful coexistence with us, and are even vital for human health. We humans are true microcosms and host more microbes than human cells. Yet this ecosystem, the human microbiome, is fragile. Allergies, overweight, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and even psychiatric disorders may be the result of a damaged microbiome. The question is how can we maintain this ecological diversity in case of a microbial infection?
The research team originally studied the signals of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A compound aroused their interest as it was highly selectively inhibiting the growth of the pathogen Moraxella catarrhalis. This pathogen causes, for example, otitis media in children as well as infections in patients with chronically obstructive pulmonary diseases. The synthetic scaffold engineering of this natural product resulted in a new compound class with enormous antibiotic efficiency. What was really surprising was the substance’s selectivity: Only the growth of Moraxella catarrhalis was inhibited, not that of other bacteria. Even closely related bacteria from the same species remained completely unaffected.
Currently, Thomas Böttcher and Christof Hauck are investigating the mechanism of action of this highly selective antibiotic against the pathogen Moraxella catarrhalis. Antibiotics with such selectivity would make precision treatment possible and specifically eliminate pathogens while preserving the diversity of beneficial microbes.
Learn more: Selective antibiotics following nature’s example
The Latest on: Precision antibiotics
[google_news title=”” keyword=”precision antibiotics” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Precision antibiotics
- Personalized 'cocktails' of antibiotics, probiotics and prebiotics hold promise in treating IBS, pilot study findson April 26, 2024 at 3:10 pm
Personalized "cocktails" of antibiotics, probiotics and prebiotics hold great promise in the treatment of a common form of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to research presented at the ESCMID ...
- Examining the impact of gene-based breeding on agriculture and medicineon April 25, 2024 at 10:22 am
A research team has demonstrated that gene-based breeding (GBB) offers a transformative approach to advancing plant and animal breeding, showing remarkable predictability, speed, and ...
- Is precision psychiatry possible?on April 25, 2024 at 6:33 am
Anyone who has taken a psychiatric medication knows that the status quo in prescribing is a trial and error approach, with patients often cycling through an array of drugs to find the one that works ...
- What Is Drug Repurposing And Why Is It A Game-Changer In Regenerative Medicine?on April 23, 2024 at 7:55 am
Repurposed drugs have already undergone rigorous testing for safety and efficacy in other medical conditions. It enables researchers to fast-track their investigations, saving time and resources.
- Palisade Bio Enters into Strategic Collaboration with Strand Life Sciences to Advance Precision Medicine Approachon April 23, 2024 at 5:30 am
Collaboration grants Palisade Bio access to cutting-edge expertise and tools in bioinformatics – Partnership marks a significant value-driving milestone in Palisade Bio's mission to redefine UC ...
- Top pharmaceutical company evaluates Optimer for precision liver medicineon April 22, 2024 at 7:43 am
The Optimer delivery vehicle was developed to selectively target cells linked to fibrotic liver disease, as part of a fee-for-service partnership with the pharmaceutical company that began in 2020.
- Deep learning tool may advance precision medicine approacheson April 19, 2024 at 6:00 am
The deep learning-based Lifelong Neural Network for Gene Regulation tool may shed light on how genetic variations influence a patient's drug response.
- Precision Medicine Market Predicted USD 254 Billion By 2033, An Approximate 12.1% CAGR Growthon April 19, 2024 at 5:46 am
According to Market.us, the global precision medicine market is projected to grow from a valuation of USD 83.4 billion in 2022 to approximately USD 254 billion by 2032. This represents a compound ...
- Degroof Petercam Initiates Coverage of Oncodesign Precision Medicineon April 18, 2024 at 9:00 am
Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM) (ISIN: FR001400CM63; Mnemonic: ALOPM), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in precision medicine for the treatment of resistant and metastatic cancer, today ...
- GV’s Newest Life Sciences General Partner Pursues Precision Treatmentson April 18, 2024 at 2:01 am
The revolution in genetics since the human genome was first sequenced in the early 2000s is making precision treatments increasingly possible in heart disease, says Anthony Philippakis.
via Bing News