Superdrugs boost our battle against bugs

BRITISH scientists hope to combat ‘superbugs’ by harnessing the body’s natural ability to fight off infections.

Tackling often deadly bacteria such as MRSA and clostridium difficile is particularly important because the bugs have evolved to build up immunity to many current antibiotics.

The new class of superbug-busting medication works by mimicking the methods developed by the human body to protect itself.

Dr Deborah O’Neill of Aberdeenbased NovaBiotics, which has identified a number of anti-microbial drugs, said: ‘The mechanisms the body uses are the best blueprint. They are an untapped resource for engineering new [drug] compounds.’

Experts think one drug, Lynovex, reverses the resistance of some bacteria to existing antibiotics.

It is being tested on people with cystic fibrosis, who produce large quantities of mucus which can cause coughing fits, breathing problems and serious lung infections.

Patients are usually given a twoweek course of antibiotics but are prone to developing resistant bacteria. In an early-stage trial, those given Lynovex as well as antibiotics felt significantly better.

‘In some patients, some bugs went from being drug-resistant to drugsensitive – some of the MRSA stopped being resistant,’ said respiratory consultant Professor Graham Devereux.

Dr O’Neill said that Lynovex ‘shuts down the bacteria’s ability to form biofilms’, a sticky layer used by bugs to protect themselves.

With no new classes of antibiotics approved since 1987, the UN predicts that superbugs could cause 10million deaths a year worldwide by 2050.