Scientists Discover New Antibiotic Over 100 Times Stronger Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Scientists from the University of Warwick and Monash University have discovered a new antibiotic, pre-methylenomycin C lactone, which shows remarkable effectiveness against drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA and VRE. This compound, found as an intermediate in the natural production of the previously known antibiotic methylenomycin A, is over 100 times more potent than its parent molecule. The discovery challenges existing paradigms in antibiotic research by demonstrating that synthetic intermediates, previously untested for antimicrobial activity, can reveal potent new antibiotics. Notably, bacteria did not develop resistance to this antibiotic under typical resistance-inducing conditions, suggesting it may be more resilient against resistance development. Researchers emphasize the need for further pre-clinical testing and believe this new compound could play a crucial role in combating antimicrobial resistance, a pressing global health threat responsible for significant mortality. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and highlight a promising avenue for future antibiotic discovery efforts.