Accidental Revelation Yields Potential New Weapon Against Antibiotic-Resistant superbugs
WARWICK, UK / MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Scientists at the universities of Warwick in Great Britain and Monash in Australia have stumbled upon a promising new antibiotic candidate while studying the genetics of an existing, decades-old antibiotic. Published in The Journal of Organic Chemistry, the research details the discovery of premethyleneomycin C-lactone, a chemical substance demonstrating considerably stronger antibacterial properties than its parent compound, methyleneomycin A.
The team was initially investigating genes responsible for producing methyleneomycin A, discovered approximately 50 years ago, when they identified two previously unknown chemical substances. Laboratory testing revealed premethyleneomycin C-lactone to be over 100 times more effective than methyleneomycin A against two particularly risky hospital-acquired infections: MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci).
Notably, the researchers observed no evidence of bacterial resistance developing to the new active ingredient, and it appears capable of being produced in larger quantities.
“So far, no one has apparently tested the intermediate products of old antibiotics for their effectiveness. This could be a new way to find more effective drugs against resistant pathogens,” explained study leader Greg Challis.
while these initial findings are encouraging, further preclinical studies are required to assess the safety and efficacy of premethyleneomycin C-lactone in the human body before it can be considered for clinical use. The rise of antibiotic resistance makes the search for new antibacterial agents a critical global health priority,as existing treatments become increasingly ineffective.
