Doctors hail superbug killer antibiotic
A NEW antibiotic has been hailed as a “game changer” in the fight against superbugs.
Teixobactin killed MRSA bacteria, above, in tests
US scientists found in tests, the drug, teixobactin, killed drug-resistant bacteria, including MRSA.
The microbes were killed by blocking their capacity to build their cell walls, which makes it difficult for bacteria to evolve resistance.
The team at the Northeastern University in Boston used a new technique to grow the bacteria – in soil instead of a petri dish in a laboratory.
British expert Professor Laura Piddock, said it “could be a game changer for discovering new antibiotics”. The research was published in Nature.