New Class of Antibiotics Offers Hope Against Antimicrobial Resistance A groundbreaking class of antibiotics, known as macrolones, presents a promising solution to the escalating issue of antimicrobial resistance. These drugs employ a dual-action mechanism to target bacteria, significantly reducing the likelihood of resistance development—by a factor of 100 million, according to new research. Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria, parasites, fungi, and viruses is a growing threat, responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019, according to the World Health Organization. The rise of resistant "superbugs" that evade existing antibiotics could return us to a time when minor infections were often fatal. Scientists are urgently seeking new antibiotics, utilizing both modern technology and traditional methods to tackle this crisis. The University of Illinois Chicago and the Beijing Institute of Technology have reported on macrolones, synthetic compounds combining two existing antibiotics that attack bacterial cells in different ways. Macrolides, such as erythromycin, block ribosomes to prevent protein synthesis, while fluoroquinolones, like ciprofloxacin, inhibit the enzyme DNA gyrase, affecting DNA structure. The researchers created various macrolones, discovering one particularly effective compound that targets both ribosomes and DNA gyrase at low doses. This dual targeting makes it extremely difficult for bacteria to develop resistance through genetic mutations. Dr. Alexander Mankin, the senior author of the study, highlighted the significance of targeting both bacterial processes simultaneously, which prevents bacteria from easily developing resistance. Co-author Yury Polikanov emphasized that some macrolones continued to target the ribosome even when bacteria had mutations rendering traditional macrolides ineffective. The development of macrolones could be a crucial step in combating the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The researchers advocate for further optimization of these compounds to maximize their dual-target efficacy, providing a potent weapon against the "antibiotic apocalypse.
