Scientists have discovered a new potential treatment that could reverse antibiotic resistance in different Gram-negative bacteria that cause conditions including urinary tract infections, sepsis, or pneumonia. The collaborative research, headed by a team at the Ineos Oxford Institute (IOI) for Antimicrobial Research at the University of Oxford, and several institutions across Europe, found that a new class of enzyme blockers, called indole carboxylates (InCs), inhibits the activity of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) resistance enzymes produced by bacteria. These MBL enzymes break down last-resort carbapenem antibiotics, making the organisms resistant to therapy. The team’s studies showed that using indole carboxylates to block MBL enzymes allowed β-lactam antibiotics to attack and kill bacteria such as E. coli in the lab, and in murine infections in vivo.
