Research from scientists at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, both in Boston, have uncovered two families of proteins that may pave the way for the development of new antibiotics in the future.
Antibiotic resistance is a growing issue that physicians and medical professionals worldwide cite as cause for concern. Researchers found that two protein families provide aid in processes that allow various bacteria to grow and survive.
Targeting these proteins is what could lead to the development of a new class of antibiotics that can fight a wider swath of pathogens, "including those that cause some of the world's deadliest diseases, such as cholera," according to a Feb. 16 press release.