Shape-shifting antibiotic could fight resistant superbugs

One “shape-shifting” antibiotic It could be the newest weapon to fight drug-resistant bacteria responsible for more than 1.2 million deaths worldwide in 2019. The new drug was developed in a laboratory in New York, in the United States.

According to research presented Tuesday (4) by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CHSL), the innovative drug can present more than 1 million configurations in its chemical structure. In this way, it reorganizes itself to defeat the defense mechanisms created by resistant strains that cause infections.

The team, led by CHSL professor John E. Moses, used the following technique: click chemistry, the molecular process that won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 for developing the drug. Another key element for the discovery was the bullane, a fluid molecule whose atoms change positions easily.

Moses thought of creation shape-shifting antibiotic Inspired by war tanks with rotating turrets that can respond quickly to threats wherever they come from. In the first model, the academic created a drug containing bullvalen at the core and the antibiotic vancomycin, which functions as a “warhead” on the outside.

Test performed successfully

first version Shape-shifting antibiotic to fight resistant bacteria It has been successfully tested on moth larvae infected with Superbug VRE. This pathogen is known for its high spreading capacity in the hospital setting.

In the study, the new drug was found to be more effective at clearing the infection than vancomycin alone. Besides, VRE failed to develop resistance to metamorphic antibiotic.

According to the CHSL team, the combination of click chemistry and innovative medicine could make all the difference between life and death in the fight against resistant bacteria and save millions of people.