via Nature
The number of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) cases is rising globally. But a newly discovered natural antibiotic — produced by bacteria from the lung infection in a cystic fibrosis patient — could help fight these infections.
Lab testing reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society shows that the compound is active against multi-drug resistant strains.
Starting with the famous first discovery of penicillin from mold, scientists have continued to search for natural sources of antibiotics. And as pathogens develop resistance to once-reliable medicines, the search has taken on a new urgency. By 2040, more than a third of all TB cases in Russia, for example, could show resistance to first-line drugs currently used to fight the disease, a recent report published in Lancet estimates. Among potential new drug sources are species of the bacterial genus Burkholderia that thrive in a wide range of habitats, from soil to the human lung. One way these microbes have adapted to these diverse environments is by making potent antibiotics to take out their competition. In light of the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria, particularly among TB strains, Gregory L. Challis, Eshwar Mahenthiralingam and colleagues wanted to see if Burkholderia might produce a promising anti-TB compound.
The researchers discovered that one species, Burkholderia gladioli, which was isolated from the sputum of a child with cystic fibrosis, produces an antibiotic called gladiolin. The compound belongs to the same structural class as etnangien, another antibiotic that has been investigated for its ability to jam bacterial cell machinery. But etnangien is highly unstable. The researchers found that gladiolin is much more stable than etnangien, and could therefore potentially be a better drug candidate. Lab testing also showed that gladiolin blocked the growth of four drug-resistant TB strains.
Learn more: Bacteria from cystic fibrosis patient could help thwart antibiotic-resistant TB
The Latest on: Antibiotic-resistant TB
Despite side-effects, docs promote old TB treatment - Health-e News
November 20, 2018 - Despite side-effects, docs promote old TB treatment Health-e NewsAt a recent international TB conference, some doctors suggested countries with weak health systems should not be allowed to use new TB drugs, although the ...
Newcastle firm discovers new breakthrough antibiotic that can combat tuberculosis - Chronicle Live
December 9, 2018 - Newcastle firm discovers new breakthrough antibiotic that can combat tuberculosis Chronicle LiveDemuris Ltd could help treat around 600000 cases ofdrug resistant TB every year.
Old TB treatments result in deafness and death | Pretoria News - Independent Online
November 19, 2018 - Old TB treatments result in deafness and death | Pretoria News Independent OnlineAt the Union Conference on Tuberculosis and Lung Disease held in The Hague recently, a well-known European research clinician proclaimed that “countries ...Save the Germs - The New York Times
November 18, 2018 - Save the Germs The New York TimesWith modern medicine killing off whole categories of bacteria and viruses — including benign ones that promote health — scientists propose a way to preserve ...
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un: authoritarian love in the time of TB - STAT
November 19, 2018 - Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un: authoritarian love in the time of TB STATThe surprise decision by a global health organization to stop funding anti-tuberculosis efforts in North Korea will add to the humanitarian crisis there.New drug hailed as a ‘game changer’ against drug-resistant TB - Business Day
October 23, 2018 - New drug hailed as a ‘game changer’ against drug-resistant TB Business DayParis — A new treatment for a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis (TB) can cure 80% of sufferers, according to a trial hailed Monday as a “game changer” in the ...
United Nations meeting on tuberculosis: drug-resistant TB on the rise - Vox.com
September 28, 2018 - United Nations meeting on tuberculosis: drug-resistant TB on the rise Vox.comThe UN General Assembly held its first high-level meeting on tuberculosis.
- November 28, 2018 - Researchers find innovative ways to combat world's deadliest bacteria Washington University School of Medicine in St. LouisTuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death worldwide from infectious disease. About 2 billion people are infected with the bacteria that cause TB, and just ...
Antibiotic resistance: A global threat to healthcare that needs collective action - Firstpost
November 24, 2018 - Antibiotic resistance: A global threat to healthcare that needs collective action FirstpostAntibiotic abuse can be curbed to a great extent if OTC antibiotics without prescriptions are barred. Dr Kishore Kumar Nov 24, 2018 17:34 PM IST. An antibiotic is ...
- November 18, 2018 - Commentary: Vaccinations, not antibiotics, should be modern medicine's priority against superbugs Channel NewsAsiaDespite vaccines' effectiveness in the fight against illness, we are not taking full advantage of them, say Seth Berkley and Jeremy Farrar.
- Drug resistant superbugs kill over 153,000 Americans a year - nearly seven times the CDC's estimates, new study suggests on November 30, 2018 at 10:26 am
In 2010, antibiotic resistant infections didn't even make the top 10 leading ... Around 700,000 people already die yearly due to drug-resistant infections including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria ... […]
- Newfoundland scientists find a new way to fight superbugs on November 25, 2018 at 6:52 am
A Newfoundland company is working to level the field in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could render diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis and strep throat untreatable. The World ... […]
- The Tuberculosis That Afflicts Much Of The World Was Likely Spread By Europeans on October 19, 2018 at 3:41 pm
They chose to study "lineage 4," the most widely dispersed type of TB internationally, investigating both how the lineage originally evolved and how antibiotic-resistant forms of the lineage have spre... […]
- Inexpensive TB test holds promise for low-income countries on September 27, 2018 at 8:00 am
“The diagnostic approach that is typically used in the field doesn’t tell you anything about drug susceptibility, and knowing that is key to effectively treating infections of antibiotic-resistant tub... […]
- Return of the White Death: TB could make our progressive, innovation-driven world unsustainable on May 21, 2018 at 2:42 am
Of all the diseases that decimated emerging cities, tuberculosis (TB) was the worst. ‘Decimation’ – the taking of one in 10 – is an understatement. TB accounted for a quarter of all deaths in European ... […]
- Isolation, collapsing lungs and spitting bans: three ways we used to treat TB, and still might on September 14, 2017 at 10:11 pm
It’s now believed this technique was effective because the TB bacteria require oxygen to survive, but the complications of such surgery could be disfiguring or even fatal. Thoracic surgery continues t... […]
- Bacteria from cystic fibrosis patient could help fight antibiotic-resistant TB on June 23, 2017 at 5:06 am
This photomicrograph reveals Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria using acid-fast Ziehl-Neelsen stain; Magnified 1000 X. The acid-fast stains depend on the ability of mycobacteria to retain dye when tr... […]
- Bacteria from cystic fibrosis patient could help thwart antibiotic-resistant TB on June 14, 2017 at 7:53 am
The number of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) cases is rising globally. But a newly discovered natural antibiotic—produced by bacteria from the lung infection in a cystic fibrosis patient—could help ... […]
via Google News and Bing News