Researchers from Roche and Harvard University have announced the discovery of a new antibiotic compound, which could lead to a new class of antibiotics to treat lethal hospital infections.
The new class of antibiotics has potent antibacterial activity against Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), which was classified as a “priority-one critical pathogen” by the World Health Organization.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health threats and is estimated to have been responsible for 1.27 million deaths in 2019.
The multidrug-resistant bacteria is commonly found in the environment, including soil and water, and can cause human infection of the blood, urinary tract, lungs, wounds and other body sites.
In critically ill hospital patients, the organism can cause serious invasive blood and chest infections.
The study published in Nature revealed that the new compound, zosurabalpin, can effectively kill the A baumannii bacterium, a difficult-to-attack to attack, gram-negative bacteria that obtains a double membrane.
The study assessed the efficiency of zosurabalpin by screening around 45,000 small molecules with possible antibiotic properties.
Researchers found that the compound worked against more than 100 CRAB samples, destroying the organism’s ability to create its protective double membrane.
Additionally, the compound reduced the levels of bacteria in mice with CRAB-induced pneumonia, preventing the deaths of mice with bacteria-triggered sepsis.
Zosurabalpin works to prevent the movement of large molecules known as lipopolysaccharides from being transported to the outer membrane of the bacteria, stopping the protective membrane from forming. The molecules begin to accumulate inside the A baumannii’s, toxifying the bacteria until it eventually dies.
Professor Laura Piddock, scientific director, Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership, said: “Not only is it good for this type of bacteria, but this could be built upon for others as well”. However, she explained that there is a long way to go before the compound will begin being used in hospitals.
Most recently, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology identified a new class of antibiotic compounds that can kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus, a drug-resistant bacterium that can lead to deadly infections, including skin infections, pneumonia and sepsis.