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Alarming: WHO warns of multi-resistant gonococci!
A research team at the University of Konstanz is discovering new antibiotics against gonorrhea to counteract multi-resistant bacteria.
Alarming: WHO warns of multi-resistant gonococci!
The World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the alarm about the increasing threat posed by antibiotic-resistant germs, especially multi-resistant bacteria. A research team from the University of Konstanz and the University of Vienna now has a promising new substance against the pathogenNeisseria gonorrhoeaeidentified how uni-konstanz.de reported. This discovery could be instrumental in combating gonorrhea, one of the most widespread bacterial sexually transmitted diseases worldwide.
The results of this research were published in the renowned scientific journal Nature Microbiology.Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the germ that causes gonorrhea, is known to quickly develop resistance to common antibiotics. In recent years, strains resistant to all agents used therapeutically, including advanced cephalosporins such as ceftriaxone and cefixime, as well as azithromycin, have been increasingly reported pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
The mechanism of new antibiotics
The research team identified novel active ingredients from the group of alkyl quinolones (AQs) that can not only kill multi-resistant gonococci, but do so without damaging adjacent human cells or other bacteria. These AQs are natural products produced by certain bacteria to defend themselves against other bacteria. What is particularly striking is that a novel AQ molecule activates a suicide mechanism in the gonococci, which is based on so-called toxin-antitoxin systems. This leads to the destruction of the antitoxin, allowing the deadly toxin to take effect, according to findings from pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
The WHO has published a list of 15 problematic antibiotic-resistant bacteria, divided into three categories: critical, highly problematic and problematic.Neisseria gonorrhoeaeis one of the most critical phenotypes as resistant strains increase worldwide.
Global health threat
The development of new drugs is therefore needed more urgently than ever. Currently in development are delafloxacin, sitafloxacin, zoliflodacin, gepotidacin, lefamulin and solithromycin. These new therapies could help expand treatment options before the availability of effective antibiotics is exhausted. Current treatment of gonorrhea in many countries is with combination therapies such as third-generation cephalosporins (e.g. ceftriaxone) and azithromycin. However, treatment is becoming increasingly difficult due to growing resistance to these drugs. Therefore, innovative therapeutic approaches and possibly the development of a vaccine, although difficult due to antigenic variability, are of great importance for public health. In summary, the identification of new antibiotics such as the AQs from the University of Konstanz and the University of Vienna offers a glimmer of hope in the fight against multi-resistant pathogens, the importance of which cannot be overestimated in the current health situation.