Scientists Develop Molecule That Kills Antibiotic-Resistant Antibiotics

The international team from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity has figured out how to repurpose a molecule called PBT2 and use it to break bacterial resistance to commonly used frontline antibiotics, Antony Ashkenaz reported for the Daily Express.

Photo Insert: Lead author Dr. Erin Brazel from the University of Adelaide’s Research Centre for Infectious Diseases.

The PBT2 molecule was originally developed as a potential treatment for disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s. and Huntington’s diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the US and the World Health Organization have both warned that superbugs, or pathogens that have built up immunity against the usual antibiotics, are poised to be responsible for 10 million deaths over the next few decades.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Prof. Christopher McDevitt, the leader of this research said: “Antibiotic-resistant pathogens represents one of the foremost threats to health in the 21st century. Without new solutions, infectious diseases are predicted to cause more than 10 million deaths a year by 2050, with an annual economic impact exceeding $US100 trillion due to disruptions in workforce productivity, global trade, and increased healthcare costs. This discovery may see the comeback of readily available and cheap anitbiotics.”

“Our work shows how we can rescue frontline antibiotics and restore their efficacy to treat drug-resistant infections without leading to further resistance. Essentially, this approach has the potential to put the genie of drug resistance back in the bottle,” the team said. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) described antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest threats to global health, food security, and development.

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