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upstart writes:

A compound that both inhibits the MRSA superbug in lab experiments and renders it more vulnerable to antibiotics has been discovered by scientists at Bath:

The novel compound – a polyamine – seems to destroy Staphylococcus aureus, the bacterium that causes (among other things) deadly Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, by disrupting the pathogen's cell membrane.

[...] The study shows that as well as destroying S. aureus directly, the compound is able to restore the sensitivity of multidrug resistant strains of the bacteria to three important antibiotics (daptomycin, oxacillin and vancomycin). This could mean that antibiotics that have become ineffective through decades of overuse may, in time, reclaim their ability to bring serious infections under control.

"We're not entirely sure why these synergies occur between the compound and antibiotics, but we're keen to explore this further," said Dr Laabei, researcher from the Department of Live Sciences at Bath.

Polyamines are naturally occurring compounds found in most living organisms. Until a decade ago, they were thought to be essential to all life, but scientists now know they are both absent in, and toxic to, S. aureus. Since making this discovery, researchers have been attempting to exploit the pathogen's unusual vulnerability to polyamines to inhibit bacterial growth.

[...] Antibiotic resistance (or antimicrobial resistance – AMR) poses a major threat to human health around the world, and S. aureus has become one of the most notorious multidrug-resistant pathogens.

[...] "New treatments are urgently needed to treat infections," said Dr Laabei.

Journal Reference:
Edward J. A. Douglas, Abdulaziz H. Alkhzem, Toska Wonfor, et al. Antibacterial activity of novel linear polyamines against Staphylococcus aureus, Front Microbiol, 2022. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.948343

Original Submission