Researchers recently synthesized and derived a new antibiotic from computer models of bacterial gene products, and they found that it appears to have neutralized even bacteria that are resistant to drugs.
As specified in a EurekAlert! report, the compound called "cilagicin" is working well in mice and uses a novel mechanism "to attack MRSA, C. diff, as well as several other deadly pathogens, the study authors reported in their new research.
The study's findings suggest that a new generation of antibiotics could be derived from computational models. Sean Brady of The Rockefeller University explained this is not only a "cool new molecule" but also a validation of a novel approach to the discovery of drugs.
A newly synthesized antibiotic from the #BradyLab attacks MRSA, C. diff, and several other deadly pathogens. Its discovery demonstrates the power of combining computational biology, genetic sequencing, and synthetic chemistry to study bacterial evolution. https://t.co/KNJr6Gb1Yx
— Rockefeller University (@RockefellerUniv) May 26, 2022
He also said that the study, published in the Science journal, is an example of computational biology, genetic sequencing, and synthetic chemistry that come together to unlock the secrets of bacterial evolution.
Antibiotics
Bacteria have spent billions of years evolving extraordinary ways to destroy one another, and thus, it is perhaps not surprising that many of the most powerful antibiotics are derived from bacteria themselves.
Moreover, with the exceptions of penicillin and a few other notables derived from fungi, most antibiotics were initially weaponized by bacteria to combat fellow microbes.
An Evnin Professor and head of the Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Brady said eons of evolution had provided bacteria with unique ways of involving in warfare and killing other bacteria minus their foes developing resistance.
The Discovery of antibiotic drugs largely comprised scientists who grew streptomyces or bacillus in the laboratory and bottled their secrets for treating human diseases, a report from the Rockefeller said.
However, with the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, there is an urgent need for new active compounds, and those in the field may be running out of bacteria that are easy to exploit.
Antibacterial Genes
Untold quantities of antibiotics nonetheless are possibly hidden within the genomes of stubborn microbes that are deceitful or impossible to examine in the lab.
Brady explained that many antibiotics come from bacteria, most of which cannot be grown in the lab. He added that "we're probably missing out on most antibiotics."
A substitute approach, championed by the Brady lab for the past decade and a half, involves finding antibacterial genes in soil, then growing them within lab-friendly bacteria. Nevertheless, even this strategy has its limitations.
Most antibiotics are derived from genetic sequences locked within the bacterial genes' clusters, known as biosynthetic gene clusters, functioning as a unit to code for a sense collectively for a series of proteins. However, such clusters are frequently inaccessible with present technologies.
To Unlock Novel Natural Compounds
Outside the clinical implication of cilagicin, the study exemplifies a scalable approach that researchers could employ to discover and develop new antibiotics.
Brady explained this work is an exceptional example of what could be discovered hidden within a gene cluster. He added that they think they can now unlock large numbers of novel natural compounds with this approach, which scientists hope will offer a new exciting pool of drug candidates.
Related information about antibiotic resistance is shown on FuseSchool - Global Education's YouTube video below:
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