Drug that kills antibiotic-resistant bug developed

According to a research published in Nature Microbiology, scientists have claimed to have developed a molecule (drug) which may kill the deadly bacteria that can no longer be killed by antibiotics used today.

Researchers said that the study may be the new treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, commonly known as superbugs.

The new drug is star-shaped structure and are basically short chains of proteins called ‘peptide polymers’. The drug was created by a team from the University of Melbourne School of Engineering.

Professor Greg Qiao said that currently the only treatment for infections caused by bacteria is antibiotics. However, over time bacteria mutate to protect themselves against antibiotics, making treatment no longer effective.

These mutated bacteria are known as ‘superbugs’.

Qiao said, ‘It is estimated that the rise of superbugs will cause up to 10 million deaths a year by 2050. In addition, there have only been one or two new antibiotics developed in the last 30 years,’

The drug created by the team team was found to be effective at killing Gram-negative bacteria – a major class of bacteria known to be highly prone to antibiotic resistance while being non-toxic to the body .

Superbugs in animal studies showed no signs of resistance against these peptide polymers.

The team discovered that their star-shaped peptide polymers can kill bacteria with multiple pathways, unlike most antibiotics which kill with a single pathway. One of these pathways includes ‘ripping apart’ the bacteria cell wall.

While more research is needed, Qiao and his team believe that their discovery is the beginning of unlocking a new treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria