Researchers believe they have created a new kind of compound, an antibiotic that kills only the worst microbes, without producing dangerous side effects.
Scientists at the University of Illinois took on the challenge of developing an antibiotic that kills gram-negative bacteria which are often resistant to antibiotics, without destroying microbes necessary for good health. If bacteria do not develop resistance to this drug, it could be a significant breakthrough in treating infections for years to come.
Chemistry professor Paul Hergenrother, co-leader of the study, said people are waking up to the realization that life-saving antibiotics also have serious side effects.
“They’re killing our good bacteria as they treat the infection,” Mr. Hergenrother said in a press release. “We wanted to start thinking about the next generation of antibiotics that could be developed to kill the pathogenic bacteria and not the beneficial ones.”...
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