Scientists have figured out how to kill superbugs

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Scientists have found out how an antibiotic of “last resort” kills bacteria. The findings from Imperial College London and the University of Texas may also reveal a potential way to make the antibiotic more powerful.

The antibiotic colistin is considered a drug of last resort for infections caused by several superbugs. Although it was discovered more than 70 years ago, how it works has remained a mystery.

Now researchers have discovered that colistin punches holes in bacteria, causing them to pop like balloons. The work also identified a way to make the antibiotic more effective at killing bacteria.

Akshay Sabnis, lead author of the paper, notes: “As the global crisis of antibiotic resistance continues to intensify, colistin is becoming more and more important. drug By revealing the principle of action of this old antibiotic, we could offer new ways of killing bacteria”.