Bacteria with resistance to current antibiotics can be eradicated by new drugs containing gold compounds.
Gold-containing drugs have the potential to combat superbugs. (Image: Deposit).
A team of experts from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has achieved promising results while studying 19 gold compounds against several types of multidrug-resistant bacteria, as reported by New Atlas on April 11. These bacterial samples, taken from patients, show resistance to many antibiotic types. The new research is expected to be presented in detail at the European Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Conference taking place in Copenhagen from April 15-18.
Due to its antibacterial properties, this is not the first time gold has been introduced as a potential remedy. Scientists have previously researched gold nanoparticles and combined them with infrared light therapy to combat infections.
Metalloantibiotics – compounds with gold ions at their core – have the ability to kill bacteria and prevent them from adapting to resist drugs. “Gold complexes utilize various techniques to kill bacteria. They inhibit enzyme activity, disrupt bacterial membrane function, and damage DNA,” said Sara Soto Gonzalez, an expert at ISGlobal.
The research team tested gold compounds against bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Acinetobacter baumannii, and pneumonia-causing bacteria.
They found evidence indicating high efficacy against MRSA and Staphylococcus epidermidis in 16 out of 19 gold compounds. Additionally, 16 compounds were effective against gram-negative bacteria, which have the highest potential for antibiotic resistance currently.
Although still in the preliminary research phase, the team stated that developing new antibiotics would not be difficult or costly. “The gold complex we are studying, known as gold (III) complex, is relatively simple and inexpensive to produce. They can also be easily modified, providing a wide scope for drug development,” Soto Gonzalez stated.
