Another tool in the war against “superbugs”
Researchers have developed a new polymyxin-like lipopeptide to kill multidrug-resistant microbes (superbugs). In the past, when facing bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, doctors could prescribe polymyxins. Polymyxins are lipopeptides that kill bacteria by binding to a component of the cell wall and disrupting ionic and hydrophobic interactions. Polymyxin-resistant bacteria have evolved so that they …