A novel antibiotic class targeting the lipopolysaccharide transporter. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06873-0)

These scientists wanted to find a new way to fight a type of bacteria called Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). This bacteria is very dangerous and can make people sick, but it is hard to treat because it is resistant to many antibiotics.

The scientists discovered a new type of medicine called tethered macrocyclic peptide (MCP) antibiotics. These antibiotics are special because they can kill the CRAB bacteria. They work by stopping the bacteria from moving a part of its body called lipopolysaccharide from the inside to the outside.

The scientists tested these new antibiotics in the lab and also on mice that were infected with the CRAB bacteria. They found that the antibiotics were very effective in killing the bacteria and making the mice healthy again.

This is important because it means that there might be a new medicine that can help people who have infections caused by CRAB bacteria. Right now, there are not many good treatments for these infections, so this discovery is really exciting. The scientists also found a part of the bacteria called LptB(2)FGC that could be a target for developing more antibiotics in the future.

Zampaloni C., Mattei P., Bleicher K., Winther L., Thate C., Bucher C., Adam JM., Alanine A., Amrein KE., Baidin V., Bieniossek C., Bissantz C., Boess F., Cantrill C., Clairfeuille T., Dey F., Di Giorgio P., du Castel P., Dylus D., Dzygiel P., Felici A., Garcia-Alcalde F., Haldimann A., Leipner M., Leyn S., Louvel S., Misson P., Osterman A., Pahil K., Rigo S., Schaublin A., Scharf S., Schmitz P., Stoll T., Trauner A., Zoffmann S., Kahne D., Young JAT., Lobritz MA., Bradley KA. A novel antibiotic class targeting the lipopolysaccharide transporter. Nature. 2024 Jan;625(7995):566-571. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06873-0. Epub 2024 Jan 3.