Georgia Church, McMaster University
New discovery can come to the market soon and help combat drug -resistant bacteria.
According to the World Health Organization, the antimicrobial resistance It is currently one of the main challenges that public health faces worldwide. A new discovery may be step forward for fighting.
A team of researchers discovered a new and powerful molecule called lariocidine.
“This is a new molecule with a new mode of action,” says researcher Gerry Wright to. “It’s a big step forward for us.” He also points out that “about 4.5 million people die every year due to antibiotic resistant infections and the situation is only getting worse.”
O Published in the magazine Nature reveals that lariocidine is produced by a type of bacteria called Paenibacillusthat the investigators removed from a sample of soil collected in a backyard of Hamilton.
“When we find out how this new molecule kills other bacteria, it was a moment of great advance,” says researcher Manoj Jangra.
In addition to its unique mode of action and its activity against bacteria resistant to other medicines, researchers are optimistic about lariocidine because it meets a series of requirements: Not toxic for human cells, It is not susceptible to the mechanisms existing resistance to antibiotics and works well in an animal model of infection.
“The initial discovery-the great moment“ a-ha! ” “It was astonishing for us, but now the real hard work begins,” says Wright. “We are now working to dismantle this molecule and gather it again to make it a better candidate for medicine.”
