New Antibiotic with Dual Targeting Offers Fresh Hope in the Fight Against Bacterial Resistance

A group of researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago has developed a new type of antibiotic that can significantly reduce bacterial resistance to drugs. This new antibiotic, which combines two different classes with bactericidal functions, drastically lowers bacteria's ability to resist treatments and creates new hopes for combating diseases caused by drug-resistant bacteria. This research, published in the scientific journal 'Nature Chemical Biology,' could be considered a major advancement in the long-standing battle of medical science against antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic prescriptions in Iran are '10% higher' than the global average. For several decades, antibiotics have been used to treat bacterial diseases, but bacteria have continuously enhanced their abilities to neutralize these drugs, raising serious concerns in the medical community. Dr. Alexander Minkin, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago and one of the principal authors of this study, states that this new antibiotic significantly reduces bacteria's ability to resist antibiotics by simultaneously targeting two different components in bacterial structures. According to him, this antibiotic attacks two targets in bacteria at one concentration, thereby leaving no opportunity for bacteria to develop resistance through random mutations. The researchers targeted two critical mechanisms in bacterial cells, namely protein synthesis and DNA synthesis. By combining macrolide antibiotics that affect protein synthesis with quinolone antibiotics that prevent DNA synthesis, they have managed to inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria. Dr. Yuri Polikanov, an assistant professor of biological sciences and another co-author of this study, mentions that by hitting two targets simultaneously, the possibility of any genetic defense from bacteria is nearly eliminated, making resistance up to 100 million times more difficult. This new research shows that with scientific advancements and ongoing efforts, there may be hope that in the future, antibiotic-resistant bacteria will pose a lesser threat to public health.