Good news in the fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria

[Tonington]

A new antibiotic has been developed that will aid in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Epimerox is the name given to the new compound that inhibits an enzyme used by gram-positive bacteria to synthesize cell walls. The compound was discovered by using bacteriophages-viruses that attack and kill bacteria-to identify pathways that the bacteria have not yet evolved defenses against. The compound has successfully shown in animal models that it can not only protect the host, but also kill Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a difficult to treat bacteria commonly abreviated as MRSA, and Bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent of anthrax.

To find the pathway, academic and industrial scientists used a phage-encoded molecule to identify the pathway. After seven years of work, the team discovered a previously unknown pathway in the regulation of the enzyme that was shared by the gram-positive bacteria, but not in the mammalian pathway used to create the same enzyme.

After extensive testing, the bacteria were found to produce no spontaneous resistance to the compound.

Ingenious work!

 

[Goober]

Good to see. But the larger issues still remain with many other diseases becoming resistant to all treatments.
Makes a person wonder if we could be due for large or substantial outbreaks of untreatable infections.
What is your opinion on that?

 

[Tonington]

Good to see. But the larger issues still remain with many other diseases becoming resistant to all treatments.
Makes a person wonder if we could be due for large or substantial outbreaks of untreatable infections.
What is your opinion on that?

I think if you look at the ecology it becomes more likely as our population grows that this could happen. The mitigating factor is smart investigations like this one, and smarter uses of the antimicrobials we have. Of course the bacteria could eventually become resistant to this treatment as well. Though I think using viral vectors to identify pathways like this one make it less likely.

Gram-negative bacteria are typically tougher to treat than the gram-posative bacteria mentioned in the study, owing to a tougher exterior cell wall. So that's another tough nut to crack.

Really we just have to be much smarter with how we use antibiotics. Sub-clincal doses that don't kill bacteria, such as those used in agriculture as growth promoters, is absolutely insane. That needs to stop.

 

[Goober]

I think if you look at the ecology it becomes more likely as our population grows that this could happen. The mitigating factor is smart investigations like this one, and smarter uses of the antimicrobials we have. Of course the bacteria could eventually become resistant to this treatment as well. Though I think using viral vectors to identify pathways like this one make it less likely.

Gram-negative bacteria are typically tougher to treat than the gram-posative bacteria mentioned in the study, owing to a tougher exterior cell wall. So that's another tough nut to crack.

Really we just have to be much smarter with how we use antibiotics. Sub-clincal doses that don't kill bacteria, such as those used in agriculture as growth promoters, is absolutely insane. That needs to stop.

Did they not stop their use in the EU?

 

[CDNBear]

Ton, what will this mean for antibiotic resistant viruses?

 

[Tonington]

Ton, what will this mean for antibiotic resistant viruses?

Not much. Viruses are inert outside of their hosts. There are far fewer compunds available to treat viral infections, compared to compounds that inactivate the viral particles in the environment. So far viral resistance pales in comparison to the resistance bacteria can develop. Part of the problem with bacteria is that resistance can be passed on horizontally, from one bacteria to another by sharing small circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. I don't think anything equivalent to that has been demonstrated in viruses.

 

[Trex]

A new antibiotic has been developed that will aid in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Epimerox is the name given to the new compound that inhibits an enzyme used by gram-positive bacteria to synthesize cell walls. The compound was discovered by using bacteriophages-viruses that attack and kill bacteria-to identify pathways that the bacteria have not yet evolved defenses against. The compound has successfully shown in animal models that it can not only protect the host, but also kill Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a difficult to treat bacteria commonly abreviated as MRSA, and Bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent of anthrax.

To find the pathway, academic and industrial scientists used a phage-encoded molecule to identify the pathway. After seven years of work, the team discovered a previously unknown pathway in the regulation of the enzyme that was shared by the gram-positive bacteria, but not in the mammalian pathway used to create the same enzyme.

After extensive testing, the bacteria were found to produce no spontaneous resistance to the compound.

Ingenious work!

A central problem lies with quickly developed and spread resistence caused by gene swapping between multiple viruses and bacterium.

The Western world is not the problem.
In South and Central Asia (and several other spots) antibiotics are horribly abused.
Third world nations demand instant access to newly developed drugs at reduced prices.
And if the drugs are not rapidly forthcoming they are reverse engineered and bootlegged in huge volumes.
And then the drugs are improperly or erroneously prescribed.
If they are prescribed at all.
Locals tend to buy just what they can afford ( a partial course) and hope for the best.
Other locals experiment with the drugs on livestock hoping for weight gains or increased disease resistence.
I spent years in the tropics and India and I am used to walking around the counter and rummaging around in old battered refrigerators for pharmaceuticals in backwater pharmacies.
No prescriptions required, sometimes no English available.
You need to know what you are looking for and the correct dosages as often the drug packaging may be printed in a language other than English.

I believe some of the newly discovered antibiotics should be reserved for hospital use only.
The drugs should only be made available in an injectable state and completely reserved for use in hospitals and clinics under direct medical supervision.
Rich first world nations would have to agree to foot the bill for a large portion of the R&D as potential profits would be minimized.
Bootlegging of these "last resort" drugs should be made a crime under international law.

 

[petros]

SWEET! My wife and I both have had MRSA infections that she dragged home from work. Nasty sh*t!