Scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have developed a method to synthesize modified forms of an established antibiotic called spectinomycin. The modified forms, unlike the original drug, can act against tuberculosis (TB) bacteria. The new compounds overcome a pump mechanism that TB bacteria ordinarily use to expel standard spectinomycin and were highly effective when tested in mice with either acute or chronic TB infection.
Richard Lee, PhD, of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and Anne Lenaertes, PhD, of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Co. led the research. In test tube experiments, the new compounds, collectively termed spectinamides, were narrowly targeted to TB bacteria and closely related bacteria, showed activity against multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB bacteria, and did not harm mammalian cells. These characteristics suggest that spectinamides may work well against TB bacteria while avoiding harm to normally occurring gut bacteria.
The research was published online this week and was supported by grant AI090810 and by NIAID contract HHSN272201000009I/01.
Reference: Lee RE, et al. Spectinamides: A new class of semisynthetic anti-tuberculosis agents that overcome native drug efflux. Nature Medicine DOI: 10.1038/NM.3458 (2014).
Source: NIHÂ
CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures
July 11th 2025With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.
IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists
July 11th 2025Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.
A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings
July 9th 2025Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.