TLDR:
- Antibiotic resistance is a major global health threat
- MIT scientists are using AI to target dormant bacteria that traditional antibiotics cannot kill
Summary:
Since the 1970s, antibiotic discovery has been in decline, leading to a global public health threat of antimicrobial resistance. Dormant bacteria, resistant to traditional antibiotics, can cause recurring infections when they become metabolically inert. MIT scientists, led by James J. Collins, are using AI to rapidly screen compounds that can target these dormant bacteria. They successfully identified a compound called semapimod, typically used as an anti-inflammatory drug, which effectively kills dormant bacteria like E. coli and Acinetobacter baumannii. Semapimod disrupts the membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, making them susceptible to drugs that were previously ineffective against them. This approach presents a promising avenue for discovering new antibiotics to combat drug-resistant infections caused by dormant bacteria.