There is only one marketed antibiotic for MRSA that can be taken orally
A team of University of Notre Dame researchers led by Mayland Chang and Shahriar Mobashery have discovered a new class of antibiotics to fight bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other drug-resistant bacteria that threaten public health. Their research is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society in an article titled “Discovery of a New Class of Non-beta-lactam Inhibitors of Penicillin-Binding Proteins with Gram-Positive Antibacterial Activity.”
The new class, called oxadiazoles, was discovered in silico (by computer) screening and has shown promise in the treatment of MRSA in mouse models of infection. Researchers who screened 1.2 million compounds found that the oxadiazole inhibits a penicillin-binding protein, PBP2a, and the biosynthesis of the cell wall that enables MRSA to resist other drugs. The oxadiazoles are also effective when taken orally. This is an important feature as there is only one marketed antibiotic for MRSA that can be taken orally.
MRSA has become a global public-health problem since the 1960s because of its resistance to antibiotics. In the United States alone, 278,000 people are hospitalized and 19,000 die each year from infections caused by MRSA. Only three drugs currently are effective treatments, and resistance to each of those drugs already exists.
The researchers have been seeking a solution to MRSA for years. “Professor Mobashery has been working on the mechanisms of resistance in MRSA for a very long time,” Chang said. “As we understand what the mechanisms are, we can devise strategies to develop compounds against MRSA.”
“Mayland Chang and Shahriar Mobashery’s discovery of a class of compounds that combat drug resistant bacteria such as MRSA could save thousands of lives around the world. We are grateful for their leadership and persistence in fighting drug resistance,” said Greg Crawford, dean of the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame.
The Latest on: Antibiotics
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Antibiotics” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Antibiotics
- HSA warns against taking health products that contain steroids, antibioticson May 3, 2024 at 1:22 am
SINGAPORE: Three adulterated health products have been flagged by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) after they were found to contain potent medicinal ingredients, including steroids and antibiotics.
- WHO alarmed by high use of antibiotics in COVID-19 caseson May 2, 2024 at 10:44 pm
New evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown that the extensive use of antibiotics during the coronavirus pandemic may have worsened the “silent” ...
- Medical school scientist creates therapy to kill hypervirulent bacteriaon May 2, 2024 at 10:08 am
Researchers are on a mission to kill drug-resistant bacteria, and a new study has identified a therapy that can penetrate the slime that such infections use to protect themselves from ...
- Quality improvement effort linked to more appropriate antibiotics for pediatric infectionson April 30, 2024 at 1:12 pm
The multisite collaborative was associated with improved antibiotic prescribing for pediatirc pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, and urinary tract infections ...
- No Antibiotics Needed – Revolutionary Chronic Wound Treatment Could Help Millionson April 28, 2024 at 1:29 am
An international team of scientists has developed a new treatment for chronic wounds that uses ionized gas to activate a wound dressing, without the need for antibiotics. The treatment involves the pl ...
- Antibiotics overused during Covid-19, says WHO: What this finding means for Indiaon April 26, 2024 at 5:11 pm
The highest antibiotic use was seen in patients with severe or critical Covid-19, with the global average standing at 81 per cent. And, they were most widely used in Eastern Mediterranean and African ...
- WHO: Antibiotics Overused in COVID-19 Patients During Pandemicon April 26, 2024 at 8:50 am
The overuse of antibiotics could have exacerbated the spread of antimicrobial resistance, according to the World Health Organization.
- How AI hallucinations could help create life-saving antibioticson April 24, 2024 at 5:42 am
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) models often hallucinate and invent information that isn't factual or can't be cited from source material. This behavior is usually a weakness, especially given ...
- Do You Really Need Antibiotics for a Cough?on April 24, 2024 at 3:00 am
Hi, it’s Ike in Boston. Have a cough? It might not need antibiotics. More on that later, but first ... Antibiotics are incredibly effective at killing bacteria: A shot of penicillin can destroy ...
- New antibiotics aren’t being fully used, study findson April 23, 2024 at 2:02 pm
A new study shows that, despite having newer options for antibiotic-resistant infections, US clinicians are still frequently opting for less optimal older, generic antibiotics.
via Bing News