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Posted: 18th March 2014

New drugs could help fight antibiotic resistance
Image pills
Current antibiotics work by killing bacteria, or stopping it from growing.
AV drugs stop bacteria from harming the host

Scientists say a new type of drug could help fight antibiotic resistance, by stopping bacteria from harming the host.

Current antibiotics aim to kill bacteria, or stop them growing, but scientists from the University of Edinburgh say this dramatically alters how the bugs evolve and helps resistant strains to survive.

After conducting a five-year review of research in the field, scientists believe anti-virulence (AV) drugs could stop the growing resistance to antibiotics.

AV drugs work by stopping the harmful part of the bacteria from functioning - without directly harming or killing the bugs. In this way, the treat the infection without promoting drug resistance.

Experts warn that as antibiotic resistance grows, curable infections could become life-threatening if the bacteria responsible becomes immune to current treatments.

According to the team from Edinburgh, recent research suggests AV drugs could provide an effective and longer lasting alternative to existing treatments.

Findings indicate the new drugs could work well alone, or combined with existing drugs.

"Our findings reveal that there are opportunities to make real progress in the fight against antibiotic resistance," said researcher Richard Allen.

"Gaining a greater understanding of how virulence affects bacterial growth in the host should aid us in our efforts to develop effective AV drugs."

The study has been published in the journal Nature Reviews Microbiology.



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