Researchers believe they have created a new kind of compound, an antibiotic that kills only the worst microbes, without producing dangerous side effects. Scientists at the University of Illinois took on the challenge of developing an antibiotic that kills gram-negative bacteria which are often resistant to antibiotics, without destroying microbes necessary for good health. If bacteria do not develop resistance to this drug, it could be a significant breakthrough in treating infections for years to come.
“They’re killing our good bacteria as they treat the infection,” Mr. Hergenrother said in a press release. “We wanted to start thinking about the next generation of antibiotics that could be developed to kill the pathogenic bacteria and not the beneficial ones.
” The study focused on killing infectious gram-negative bacteria, which are harder to kill because they have a double layer of protection. Drugs used in hospital settings that destroy harmful gram-negative bacteria also fight against beneficial bacteria, said Kristen Muñoz, lead author of the study. “Most clinically approved antibiotics only kill gram-positive bacteria or kill both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria,” Ms.
Muñoz said in the press release. Ms. Muñoz said virtually all antibiotics used in clinics cause an imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract, “because they do not discriminate between the good bugs and the bad bugs.
” The goal of this research was to find an antibacterial agen.
