Gerry Wright, professor of Biochemistry and Biomedical studies at McMaster, says his lab’s recent discovery is significant because the antibiotic apramycin is currently in clinical trials and, should it pass through, having a thorough understanding of how bacteria might resist the drug will be crucial to extending its utility.
Research Alert
Researchers at McMaster University have discovered unique characteristics of a mechanism used by bacteria to resist an important class of antibiotics.
The new research, published in Nature Chemical Biology, shows that resistance to aminoglycoside drugs — used to treat a variety of infections — is far more complex than initially thought.
Lead investigator Gerry Wright, professor of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster, says his lab observed never-before-seen versatility in ApmA, a long-studied bacterial resistance gene.
It is also World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, and this research shows how much there is still to learn about the mechanisms of resistance.
RSS