In
a breakthrough, scientists have discovered a new class of antibiotics to
fight deadly bacteria such as
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus and other drug-resistant bacteria that threaten public health.
The new class, called oxadiazoles, was discovered by University of Notre Dame researchers
led by Mayland Chang and Shahriar Mobashery in silico (by computer) screening
and has shown promise in the treatment of MRSA in mouse models of infection.
Researchers
who screened 1.2 million compounds found that the oxadiazole inhibits a
penicillin-binding protein, PBP2a, and the biosynthesis of the cell wall that
enables MRSA to resist other drugs. The oxadiazoles are also effective when
taken orally. This is an important feature as there is only one marketed
antibiotic for MRSA that can be taken orally, researchers said. MRSA has become
a global public-health problem since the 1960s because of its resistance to
antibiotics.