Tag : Research

    Researchers From IIT Roorkee Discover A Molecule That Targets Carbapenem Resistance In Bacterial Pathogens

    Molecule
    Sunil Aswal
    April6/ 2022

    Roorkee (The Hawk): Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee)have deciphered a novel mechanism of Disulfiram in treating blood infections and pneumonia caused by the Metallo-beta-lactamase producing Acinetobacter baumannii, a nosocomialtop priority pathogen. The research team led by Prof. Ranjana Pathania discovered that the drug Disulfiram can prevent the normal functioning of Metallo-ß-lactamase, an enzyme that neutralizes last resort carbapenem antibiotics. Disulfiram thus improves the antibacterial activity of Carbapenem class of antibiotics against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. The study by Vineet Dubey, Kuldip Devnath, Mangal Singh, Prof. Ranjana Pathania and others working in the Molecular Bacteriology and Chemical genetics laboratory in the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Roorkee, has been published by Oxford University Press in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Acinetobacter baumannii is a serious problem in the hospitals worldwide. This is because it is one of the primary causes of infection in patients who rely on hospital ventilators and invasive devices like urinary catheters. 63% of infections are caused by the multidrug-resistant strains of this bacterium, which is of primary concern due to its increased resistance to antibiotics. Since these pathogens have Carbapenem degrading enzymes, the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated this pathogen as a critical priority for research and development of new treatment drugs in 2017. The researchers have used various methods of testing the antibiotic sensitivity of the bacteriathat demonstrate that Disulfiram can render Meropenem, a commonly used antibiotic for bacterial infections, more effectiv ...

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