A new study has found that an old, discarded antibiotic could be key to fighting multi-drug resistant superbugs.
Nourseothricin, an antibiotic discovered in the 1940s, was abandoned due to its toxicity to human kidneys. However, Harvard Medical School researchers revisited nourseothricin in searching for new antibiotics to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.
The study revealed that purified forms of two streptothricins showed promising antibacterial action against drug-resistant pathogens.
The researchers emphasized the unique and potent activity of the streptothricin scaffold against gram-negative pathogens and its mechanism of inhibiting protein synthesis. This research highlights the potential of further exploring streptothricin as a therapeutic option to combat multidrug-resistant, gram-negative bacteria. The rediscovery of this old antibiotic opens new possibilities in the ongoing battle against superbugs.