New antibiotic could help us tackle superbugs
Scientists from the University of Warwick and Monash University have just discovered a new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone.
It's over 100 times more effective than methylenomycin A, an earlier antibiotic, against tough bacteria like MRSA and VRE—some of the hardest infections to treat.
Researchers found the new antibiotic while studying a common bacterium
The team spotted this antibiotic while studying Streptomyces coelicolor, a bacterium researchers have known since the 1950s.
Interestingly, they hypothesized this "new" compound may be an earlier version the bacterium made before evolving to produce a less powerful antibiotic.
This could help scientists find more hidden antibiotics in microbes we already thought we knew inside out.
The next step is pre-clinical testing
Lab tests show pre-methylenomycin C lactone hasn't triggered resistance in Enterococcus bacteria under laboratory conditions so far, which is huge for fighting infections that don't respond to current medicines.
The next step is pre-clinical testing, but researchers have already figured out how to make it in larger amounts—so if all goes well, this could be a big step forward in the fight against superbugs.