"Trojan horse" antibiotic could help with fight against superbugs
- 6 years ago
USA — A new antibiotic has shown promising results after bypassing several multidrug resistant bacteria in early clinical trials.
The trials were conducted on a total of 448 patients with kidney or urinary tract infections, according to a paper published in The Lancet.
The antibiotic, cefiderocol, was able to enter the bacteria as it hid among iron molecules.
Bacteria in our bodies usually look for iron molecules as our bodies' natural response to an infection is to create a low-iron environment, to stop the bacteria from multiplying.
Once cefiderocol is inside the bacteria, it is able to kill it as other antibiotics.
However, larger trials would still be needed to ensure the effectiveness of the "trojan horse" antibiotic.
The trials were conducted on a total of 448 patients with kidney or urinary tract infections, according to a paper published in The Lancet.
The antibiotic, cefiderocol, was able to enter the bacteria as it hid among iron molecules.
Bacteria in our bodies usually look for iron molecules as our bodies' natural response to an infection is to create a low-iron environment, to stop the bacteria from multiplying.
Once cefiderocol is inside the bacteria, it is able to kill it as other antibiotics.
However, larger trials would still be needed to ensure the effectiveness of the "trojan horse" antibiotic.