How Nonantibiotic Drugs Are Unlocking New Ways to Kill Bacteria
Human history was forever changed with the discovery of antibiotics in 1928. Infectious diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and sepsis were once widespread and lethal until penicillin made them treatable.
Surgical procedures that once came with a high risk of infection became safer and more routine. Antibiotics marked a triumphant moment in science that transformed medical practice and saved countless lives.
However, the widespread use of antibiotics has led bacteria to develop resistance, making them less effective in fighting infections. The rise of antibiotic resistance has become a major concern for global public health, with the World Health Organization estimating that superbugs caused 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019.
Innovative Solutions to Antibiotic Resistance
Innovative research is being conducted worldwide to address the problem of antibiotic resistance. Scientists from the Mitchell Lab at UMass Chan Medical School, including myself, are actively investigating new ways to tackle this pressing challenge.
Recently, we discovered that nonantibiotic drugs, typically used to treat various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and depression, possess the ability to kill bacteria. This was a groundbreaking revelation that presented both opportunities and risks.
Unveiling the Mystery of Nonantibiotic Drug Actions
To understand how these nonantibiotic drugs exert their antibacterial effects, a combination of genetic screening and machine learning was employed. By monitoring genetic changes in bacteria when exposed to these drugs, our team was able to identify the targeted cellular processes and specific bacterial proteins.
Employing our machine learning algorithm, we mapped the antibacterial mechanisms of these drugs. Interestingly, we found that nonantibiotic drugs formed separate clusters from traditional antibiotics, indicating that they kill bacteria in different ways.
Identification of Promising Drug Targets
While investigating nonantibiotic drugs, we unearthed the promising potential of triclabendazole, a drug primarily used to treat parasite infections. Our research demonstrated that triclabendazole, together with two other nonantibiotic drugs that shared a similar mechanism, targeted a specific bacterial protein. This protein was overlooked by traditional antibiotics, making it an attractive new drug target.
The Future of Antibiotic Discovery
Our findings have significant implications for antibiotic research. The traditional approach of screening thousands of chemicals for antibacterial properties can be time-consuming and less effective. However, by combining genetic screening and machine learning, we can identify nonantibiotic drugs that kill bacteria in previously unknown ways.
These new insights serve as a gateway to exploring untapped methods to combat bacterial infections and tackle antibiotic resistance.
This article presents a glimpse into the ongoing research on nonantibiotic drugs that are proving effective against bacteria. The use of machine learning to analyze the mechanisms presents new possibilities for antibiotic discovery in the future.
