New antibiotic kills drug-resistant bacteria by targeting previously unknown vulnerability

Article excerpt

Researchers at McMaster University have identified manikomycin, a new antibiotic that attacks drug-resistant bacteria through a previously unknown mechanism of action. Led by Professor Gerry Wright, the team demonstrated early effectiveness against priority pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, and Klebsiella, some of the world's most dangerous resistant strains. The discovery could open an entirely new class of antibiotic treatments at a time when drug resistance threatens to undermine modern medicine's infectious-disease arsenal.