TEIXOBACTIN – A Newer Antibiotic – on the way. Teixobactin is an antibiotic which is active against Gram-positive bacteria like S.aureus, produced in an organism - Eleftheria terrae. Teixobactin is an inhibitor of cell wall synthesis that acts primarily by binding to lipid II, a fatty molecule which is a precursor to peptidoglycan. This is similar to the action of the antibiotic vancomycin. Binding of teixobactin to lipid precursors inhibits production of the peptidoglycan layer, leading to lysis of vulnerable bacteria. Teixobactin was reported to be potent in vitro against most Gram positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and difficult-to-treat enterococci and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with Clostridium difficile and Bacillus anthracis being exceptionally vulnerable. It was also found to be effective in vivo, when used to treat mice infected with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and Streptococcus pneumoniae. In early 2015, human clinical trials of teixobactin were estimated to be at least two years away, and we may expect this antibiotic to be useful for mankind, after passing through final phase of clinical trials.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 04:47:07 +0000
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