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Colistin is considered an antibiotic of last resort for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Colistin resistance heralds the emergence of an infection that is already resistant to all fungi.
In a study published in Nature Microbiology Researchers have found that combining colistin with inhibitors of biotin (vitamin B7) or fatty acid production can overcome colistin resistance. They found that biotin or inhibitors of fatty acid production prevent colistin resistance by preventing the bacteria from making certain lipids that are essential for their membranes.
Without this important membrane component, bacteria become sensitive to colistin, which allows them to kill bacteria. This combination of fatty acid and biotin production inhibitors with colistin was effective in an in vitro setting and murine infection model against colistin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
The results provided a rationale for using this combination as a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of colistin-resistant infections.
more information:
Lindsey A. Carfrae et al, Inhibition of fatty acid synthesis overcomes resistance to colistin, Nature Microbiology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01369-z
the quote: A Potential Therapeutic Approach to Treat Colistin-resistant Infections (2023, May 1) Retrieved May 1, 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-05-potential-therapeutic-approach-colistin-resistant-infections.html
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