Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a super bug that’s often picked up in hospitals and frequently deadly, especially in patients with weakened immune systems. But a according to a new report in Molecular Systems Biology, scientists have engineered a non-threatening e. coli bacteria with the tools to destroy it, reported CBS News.
While no clinical trials have yet to be performed, CBS News reported that Dr. Nazanin Saeidi and Dr. Choon Kit Wong of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore may have made a significant contribution to the fight against serious bacterial infections since there haven’t been any major advances in the development of antibiotics in decades and antibiotic bugs are on the rise.
Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. also recently announced that the company will begin clinical trials of an intravenous antibiotic to fight urinary tract infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, according to a company press release. The company reported that it is also planning to roll out clinical testing for treatment of abdominal infections also caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Santosh Vetticaden, PhD, MD, chief medical officer of Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was quoted in the company’s press release as saying, “We are extremely pleased to be making such a significant advance in this program that offers promise for the treatment of certain Gram-negative infections." Pseudomonas aeruginosa is considered a Gram-negative bacteria.
