Malacidins – a new class of antibiotics discovered in the. soil

While analyzing hundreds of soil samples, scientists at Rockefeller University discovered a new family of antibiotics – the Malacidins. The compounds could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Newly discovered family of antibiotics carries the hope of developing new drug in which re may be an effective weapon against treatment-resistant superbugs. They were discovered by Rockefeller University researchers analyzing more than 1,000 pr bek soil from the area in whole Stan in the United.

A team of scientists was led by Dr. Sean Brady, and the findings were published in the journal „Nature Microbiology”.

Faced with increasingly frequent situations in which he existing antibiotics are failing to cope with disease, finding new drugs is an urgent matter. Currently, it is estimated that 700,000 people die each year due to drug-resistant bacteria b. If we don’t do something about it, wkr tce we may find ourselves in „The post-antibiotic era”, in which rej the smallest injury can prove fatal.

Resistant to most antibiotics in the so-called. Superbugs are an increasingly common cause of death. Some re reports m ties that by 2050, 50 million will die from it in os b. Superbugs will cause more deaths than cancers. In the fight against drug-resistant bacteria, even the Organization of National in the United. In 2016, 193 members in the UN signed a declaration to fight superbugs, in which the HERE they have been identified „the biggest threat wsp Modern medicine”.

Scientists in search of new compounds, which re could help c in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, they abandoned the labs and started looking for… in the ground. The soil is teeming with sorts of microorganisms, which re produce many potentially therapeutic compounds. In this way b US researchers have discovered an extremely promising new group of antibiotics. They named them malacidins.

– We extracted DNA from the extracted pr bek soil, and then we introduced them into the organism in, which re we are able to grow quite easily in the laboratory. Then we tested whether they would produce molecules that form the basis of new antibiotics – explained Brady.

Tests showed that malacidins annihilate a number of diseases b bacterial compounds, which re have become resistant to most existing antibiotic. Ba, have proven to be effective even on methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

– Each site, after which you walk on contains 10,000 bacteria, with which most of which we have never seen. We thought the hitherto unexplored environment might be a reservoir of new therapeutic compounds – Brady said.

Thanks to the work of U.S. scientists, man has gained an additional weapon, in this peculiar arms race. Currently, the team ł is working to improve the effectiveness of malacidins, however, bringing them to market will be neither quick nor easy.

– No way b to say when malacidin may hit pharmacies. Specifically lnie at such an early stage as we are now. It’s a long and arduous road,” Brady pointed out.

Professor Colin Garner of Antibiotic Research in the UK acknowledged that the discovery of a new class of antibiotic into a significant success, but he also stressed that this does not meet the most pressing needs. This is because malacidins have no effect on Gram-negative bacteria.

– Our problem is the so-called Gram-negative bacteria, which re are difficult to treat and their resistance is rapidly increasing. They cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections and dr g urinary tract and a number of other dangerous diseases b. We urgently need new antibiotics for the treatment of diseases b caused by these bacteria – stated Garner.

Source background: BBC, Futurism, Pictured are staphylococcus aureus bacteria magnified 20,000 times by a scanning electron microscope, photo. Janice Carr/ CDC