A revolutionary superbug killer named cresomycin has been created to address drug-resistant bacteria, demonstrating effectiveness against current medication-resistant strains.
Researchers develop drug that can address antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance is a concerning issue where bacteria evolve to resist traditional antibiotics, rendering them ineffective. Harvard University researchers developed cresomycin, a synthetic compound effective against various drug-resistant bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus addressing this global health threat.
The effectiveness and safety of cresomycin and similar drugs in humans remain uncertain. However, research indicates their potential for inhibiting a wide range of pathogenic bacteria, surpassing currently approved antibiotics. Andrew Myers, a study author and Harvard professor, highlights this promising development in combating bacterial strains responsible for significant mortality annually.
Cresomycin exhibits superior binding to bacterial ribosomes, essential for protein production within cells. While conventional antibiotics struggle due to bacterial defenses, Cresomycin’s unique design overcomes these obstacles, presenting a promising avenue for antibiotic treatment.
Myers’ team is developing a synthetic antibiotic called cresomycin to combat superbugs, with support from a $1.2 million grant from CARB-X. Inspired by lincosamides like clindamycin, cresomycin undergoes chemical modifications inaccessible through traditional methods, potentially offering more effective treatments than current options.
Component-oriented synthesis used in manufacture of cresomycin
The creation of cresomycin utilized a process termed component-oriented synthesis, a methodology facilitating the creation of intricate molecules through the assembly of sizable, similarly intricate components during the latter phases of synthesis. Analogous to constructing with prefabricated sections of a LEGO set, this approach expedites the manufacture and evaluation of numerous potential drug candidates, hastening the drug discovery trajectory.
According to Kelvin Wu, a graduate student from Harvard and co-author of the study, antibiotics are fundamental to the framework of contemporary medicine. Wu emphasizes that crucial medical advancements such as surgeries, cancer therapies, and organ transplants would not be feasible without antibiotics.
Furthermore, the research published in the journal Science has garnered backing from diverse entities such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and Harvard’s Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator.
