Researchers synthesized the naturally occurring antibiotic, teixobactin, replicated it and used the substance to treat superbug infections in mice, according to a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
American scientists first discovered teixobactin in soil in 2015. The discovery was considered a potential game-changer in the fight against the spread of antibiotic resistance. Researchers with the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom synthesized teixobactin by replacing certain amino acids in its structure to make the antibiotic easy to replicate.
The synthetic version of the antibiotic proved effective against vancomycin-resistant enterococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the laboratory setting. The antibiotic also proved effective at treating S. aureus keratitis corneal infections in mice, marking the first time teixobactin has been used to treat an infection in a living organism.
"Translating our success with these simplified synthetic versions from test tubes to real cases is a quantum jump in the development of new antibiotics, and brings us closer to realizing the therapeutic potential of simplified teixobactins," said Ishwar Singh, PhD, a specialist in novel drug design and development from the University of Lincoln's School of Pharmacy. "A significant amount of work remains in the development of teixobactin as a therapeutic antibiotic for human use — we are probably around six to 10 years off a drug that doctors can prescribe to patients — but this is a real step in the right direction."
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