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The number of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) cases is rising globally. But a newly discovered natural antibiotic — produced by bacteria from the lung infection in a cystic fibrosis patient — could help fight these infections. Lab testing reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society shows that the compound is active against multi-drug resistant strains.
Starting with the famous first discovery of penicillin from mold, scientists have continued to search for natural sources of antibiotics. And as pathogens develop resistance to once-reliable medicines, the search has taken on a new urgency. By 2040, more than a third of all TB cases in Russia, for example, could show resistance to first-line drugs currently used to fight the disease, a recent report published in Lancet estimates. Among potential new drug sources are species of the bacterial genus Burkholderia that thrive in a wide range of habitats, from soil to the human lung. One way these microbes have adapted to these diverse environments is by making potent antibiotics to take out their competition. In light of the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria, particularly among TB strains, Gregory L. Challis, Eshwar Mahenthiralingam and colleagues wanted to see if Burkholderia might produce a promising anti-TB compound.
(Score: 4, Informative) by kaszz on Tuesday June 27 2017, @10:15AM
A new antibiotic for drug-resistant tuberculosis [economist.com]:
Patients with cystic fibrosis have a respiratory tract that often is clogged with mucus that inhibits the actions of the immune-system cells which would otherwise destroy invaders. This enables the bacteria Burkholderia gladioli to get a foothold in the lungs. The bacteria were discovered to keep other bacteria at bay and it was found that the substance gladiolin does this. The mechanism works by shutting down the bacterial version of the gene for an enzyme that is involved in RNA polymerase [wikipedia.org] that is crucial for life.
The substance has already a wikipedia page [wikipedia.org] .. ;-)
The daring DIY could possible get a sample of Burkholderia gladioli and multiply it just like when brewing beer. The hard step will be to separate gladiolin from everything else. And ensuring it's sterile yet still functional. Any input on this?