Could a single synthetic molecule outsmart a variety of drug-resistant bacteria?

Researchers at Harvard and the University of Illinois at Chicago have developed a new molecule called cresomycin, which effectively vanquished multiple types of bacteria when tested in animals. Cresomycin belongs to a class of enhanced lincosamides and works by targeting a bacterium’s ribosome, the tiny protein factory tucked in every living cell. It is not yet a drug or close to being ready for clinical trials in humans. A nonprofit dedicated to fighting superbugs gave its Harvard creator $1.2 million this week to develop cresomycin and similar substances into new oral antibiotics. Cresomycin belongs to a class of antibiotics known as enhanced lincosamides and works by binding so tightly to the ribosome that it essentially negates the effect of the methyl group. This new molecule represents a promising step toward new treatments, as it represents a promising step toward new treatments for the growing number of antibiotic-resistant superbugs in the US.