The overuse and misuse of antibiotics has led to the development of an increasing number of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, which poses a serious threat to global public health. To solve this problem, scientists have been looking for new types of antibiotics. Recently, a research team led by Carlos Bazin, a chemist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has discovered a new type of antibiotic with broad antimicrobial activity and a low risk of resistance, offering new hope in the fight against bacteria.
Bazin's team's research has been published in several scientific articles, including in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The new antibiotic they discovered is called a "conjugated oligoelectron electrolyte" (COE), which is effective against a wide range of bacteria, including some that are resistant to existing antibiotics.
The mechanism of action of COE is different from that of existing antibiotics. Existing antibiotics usually work by damaging the cell membranes of bacteria or inhibiting the metabolic processes of bacteria, but this can also lead to bacterial resistance. In contrast, COE kills bacteria by damaging their cell membranes, a mechanism of action that makes it harder for bacteria to develop resistance.
To verify the effectiveness of the COE, Bazin's team conducted a series of experiments. They found that COEs were effective against a wide range of bacteria, including some that are resistant to existing antibiotics. In addition, COE is able to inhibit the formation of bacterial biofilms, which is an important mechanism for bacteria to develop resistance.
On the clinical trial side, Bazin's team collaborated with researchers from the National University of Singapore to study the effects of COE in terms of lung infections. They found that COE was effective in lung infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, and was smaller.
Although COE requires further research and development before it can be applied in the clinic, its discovery offers new hope in the fight against bacteria. The results of Bazin's team also remind us that more attention needs to be paid to the rational use of antibiotics to avoid the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. At the same time, we need to continue to explore and develop new antibiotics to address the emerging problem of bacterial resistance.