Scientists uncover new drug target
Scientists uncover new drug target in fight against antimicrobial resistance
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have identified new drug targets within bacterial cells that could help overcome antimicrobial resistance (AMR), opening new possibilities for more effective antibiotic treatments. The discovery could lead to improved treatments for bacterial infections
The research, conducted in collaboration with Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College London, was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust and Wellcome. The findings were published in Nature Communications.
Antibiotics typically work by disrupting the production of proteins essential for bacterial growth and survival. However, some bacteria possess a repair mechanism known as Rtc, which enables them to counteract this process and sustain protein production and growth, despite exposure to antibiotics.
Using a combination of computer modelling and laboratory experiments with E. coli – known for developing antibiotic resistance – the researchers identified potential drug targets within the Rtc repair system. They also observed that bacterial responses to antibiotics vary depending on differences in these repair systems between individual cells.
The team suggests that therapies could be tailored to inhibit key components of the Rtc repair pathway, thereby enhancing the efficacy of existing antibiotics and informing the development of next-generation anti-AMR treatments.
Andrea Weisse, of the University of Edinburgh’s Schools of Biological Sciences and Informatics, who led the study, said: “Bacteria are clever little things. They have been learning how to dodge our antibiotics, and they are getting better at it all the time. If we don’t find new drugs – or new tricks to outsmart them – we are in trouble. What we are trying to do here is really understand how their defence systems work. Once we see the mechanism clearly, we can figure out smarter ways to beat them and treat infections more effectively.”
