![]() ![]() ![]() Before this study, the use of the FabI enzyme as an antibiotic target had only been leveraged in Gram-positive infections. Hergenrother and his team decided to target the FabI enzyme, which is responsible for catalyzing the rate-determining step in bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis. A majority of the pathogens listed by the WHO are Gram-negative bacteria.ĭr. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified a list of antibiotic-resistant priority pathogens that present a “great threat to human health.” The agency highlighted the urgency of the need for new antibiotics. In comparison, Gram-positive bacteria lack the outer layer, but are surrounded by thick layers of the mesh-like peptidoglycan.ĭue to the cell structural difference, Gram-negative bacteria, such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections (UTI), and bloodstream infections, are harder to treat compared to those caused by Gram-positive bacteria. These bacteria were categorized as Gram-negative, and their cell structure prevents antibiotic molecules from entering and accumulating within the cell. Gram found that some bacteria had a thin peptidoglycan cell wall, in addition to a dense outer membrane and efflux pumps. ![]() In 1884, a Danish bacteriologist named Hans Christian Gram developed a test to differentiate bacteria based on the chemical and physical makeup of their cell walls. Findings suggest that fabimycin could eventually be used to treat Gram-negative infections in humans.īacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria mutate over time and no longer respond to antibiotics, making infections more difficult to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. Scientists have described infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria as a threat to modern healthcare.īacteria can be categorized as Gram-positive or Gram-negative based on the structure of their cell membranes.Fabimycin also showed efficacy against Gram-negative bacteria in mouse infection models of a challenging urinary tract infection (UTI) and acute pneumonia.One molecule synthesized by the researchers, fabimycin, showed promise in combating more than 200 Gram-negative bacteria and didn’t have a significant impact on the harmless bacteria that are typically present in the human gut microbiome.Researchers modified an existing antibiotic to create a new molecule that may be effective against Gram-negative bacteria that are drug resistant.Share on Pinterest WLADIMIR BULGAR/Getty Images ![]()
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