Tests on bacteria collected from patients showed that halicin killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bug that causes TB, and strains of Enterobacteriaceae that are resistant to carbapenems, a group of antibiotics that are considered the last resort for such infections. Halicin also cleared C difficile and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections in mice.
New Antibiotic via AI
New Antibiotic via AI
If this isn't too much spin it looks like good news, "repurposing" n unsuccessful diabetic pharmaceutical for antimicrobial use. Still a long way from patient use, but excellent news if it's effective against TB, the #1 antibiotic resistant bug responsible for more deaths worldwide than the other "superbugs" https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... through-ai Cool name as well!
- basementer
- Dorkwood
- Posts: 1504
- Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:03 pm
- Location: 8024, Aotearoa
- Contact:
Re: New Antibiotic via AI
The article says the compound "fell by the wayside" but doesn't say why. Enthusiasm would be premature if, for instance, it was dropped after phase 1 clinical trials.
Money is just a substitute for luck anyway. - Tom Siddell
Re: New Antibiotic via AI
Just a tad cynical Basemeter it was dropped as a potential treatment for diabetes https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00018-3 they've done animal model studies already on candidate repurposing molecules, anyway as I said a very welcome new approach
- Woodchopper
- Princess POW
- Posts: 7081
- Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2019 9:05 am
Re: New Antibiotic via AI
Here’s the full article describing what they did: https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(20)30102-1.pdf