Superbugs will struggle to evolve resistance to unusual new antibiotic
4 June 2023
A much-needed new kind of antibiotic can kill bacteria such as MRSA and works in a way that makes it extremely difficult for resistance to evolve
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Premium
New antibiotic may clear Clostridium difficile and stop reinfection
8 May 2023
Clostridium difficile kills 13,000 people each year in the US alone. A new antibiotic tested in mice works better than our first-line treatments against infection – and prevents reinfection too
MRSA could be prevented with genetically engineered antibodies
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Genetic mutations to an antibody prevented MRSA infections in mice, and boosted the effectiveness of antibiotics for fighting the infection
Curbing fatty acid production in bacteria lowers antibiotic resistance
1 May 2023
Bacteria are more susceptible to antibiotics when they can't produce fatty acids, suggesting that drugs inhibiting this process could help us overcome antibiotic resistance
Covid-19 pandemic tied to antibiotic resistance in pneumonia bacterium
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A modelling study suggests that the proportion of cases involving pneumonia-causing bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics has increased amid the covid-19 pandemic
Antibiotics encoded in Neanderthal DNA could help us fight infections
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A search of the ancient DNA of Neanderthals and Denisovans has revealed coding for extinct bacteria-killing proteins that we could revive to fight infections
Antimicrobial drug derived from tree sap could treat chronic wounds
14 September 2022
A compound derived from the sap of the blushwood tree was found to improve wound healing in mice and dairy calves
Genetic test for mutation that leads to antibiotic-induced deafness
31 March 2022
A genetic test gives results in half an hour to show if a person may become deaf in response to certain antibiotics, so can be used for babies with suspected sepsis who need treatment fast
RSV vaccine in pregnancy lowers antibiotic use in babies
14 March 2022
Babies whose mothers were vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus had less need for drugs against bacterial infections
Antibiotic-resistant superbug has a protein coat like chain mail
25 February 2022
The outer coat of the antibiotic-resistant bacterium Clostridium difficile has a structure similar to chain mail that stops drugs and immune system cells from killing it
