There is a conundrum that lies at the heart of antimicrobial resistance. Antibiotics target bacteria that are susceptible to said antibiotics and eradicate them. This sounds good, but the downside is that it leaves a population of bacteria resistant to the used antibiotic. These bacteria then multiply and cause a relapse. If only there were a way to contain the susceptible bacteria without killing them. This way, the pathogenicity of the susceptible bacteria will be neutralized, while their sheer bulk will help keep the resistant bacteria in check. A drug that could do this would revolutionize humanity’s ongoing struggle against antimicrobial resistance. It is a pleasure to announce that such a drug is already in development.
Graphical Abstract. Credit: Jeffrey Fernandez et Al., 2023
Read Also: This ‘Shape-Shifting’ Antibiotic Could Be the Answer to Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria Crisis
SM1B74, herald of a new order of antibiotics
The drug names SM1B74 was developed by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Janssen Biotech, Inc. Early tests performed on mice show that this novel antibiotic was superior to standard antibiotics in managing Staphylococcus aureus infections, even the dreaded MRSA form. How does SM1B74 do this? The antibiotic makes use of centyrins, proteins that stop bacteria from boring holes in and destroying human immune cells. To these centyrins are added human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which mark bacteria for uptake and destruction by human immune cells. These combinations are aptly named mAbtyrins. These mAbtyrins work through ten different mechanisms to contain staphylococcal infections but at the same time keep the staphylococci alive yet inactive.
A new paper describing the early testing and efficacy of mAbtyrins was published in Cell Host & Microbe. In the words of lead study author Victor Torres, Ph.D., the C.V. Starr Professor of Microbiology and director of the NYU Langone Health Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogen Program, “Our goal was to design a biologic that works against S. aureus inside and outside of cells, while also taking away the weapons it uses to evade the immune system.”
Further research is still ongoing on this with a focus on tweaking the structure of the centyrin molecule. Findings also show that combining mAbtyrins with small doses of vancomycin greatly increases the efficacy of both drugs, in addition to being nephroprotective.
Clinical significance
The development of this drug could provide a much-needed ray of hope in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. At best, mAbtyrins could provide an entirely new mechanism to checkmate staphylococcal infections. At worst, they could serve as a complement for vancomycin as the last line of defense against MRSA.
Conclusion
The future of antimicrobials might just be upon us. With SM1B74 leading the charge, the antibiotics of the future might disproportionately be mAbtyrins.
Read Also: Researchers Use Stem Cells’ Secretions to Treat Wounds Infected By Resistant Bacteria
