DAWN TO DUSK NEWS: New class of antibiotics discovered by chemists

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIIxKEA7vC7puE1IHkkWeFOAn9A7ga4Ef2nFKA-pDewJ7PJllxOrh2mpcC8FNKomrkO_B6PtwKSINjZO2foELNSzwfCoz_AKmiIT8GZto6s3_ys3L2mJN9YYrrwsN1Oed_A3QmzyYn0k0/s1600/140307165953-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIIxKEA7vC7puE1IHkkWeFOAn9A7ga4Ef2nFKA-pDewJ7PJllxOrh2mpcC8FNKomrkO_B6PtwKSINjZO2foELNSzwfCoz_AKmiIT8GZto6s3_ys3L2mJN9YYrrwsN1Oed_A3QmzyYn0k0/s1600/140307165953-large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> A new class of antibiotics to fight bacteria such as methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus and other drug-resistant bacteria that threaten public
health has been discovered by a team of chemists. The new class, called
oxadiazoles, was discovered in silico (by computer) screening and has shown
promise in the treatment of MRSA in mouse models of infection. MRSA has become
a global public-health problem since the 1960s because of its resistance to
antibiotics. In the United States alone, 278,000 people are hospitalized and
19,000 die each year from infections caused by MRSA. Only three drugs currently
are effective treatments, and resistance to each of those drugs already exists.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsNUP2iBtvRAZqGyJOnlsiHufNKwv828z5WgZFhR3wJtuxrcgroidEN4WQC0GnlICTNIKX6f35R7smlNqzIw2gjk5dEvVEj-KAdRI1ZdWTyMILDEhOpNaGm-np8V4GT_z42kqg0iz7mca/s1600/MurAribbon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsNUP2iBtvRAZqGyJOnlsiHufNKwv828z5WgZFhR3wJtuxrcgroidEN4WQC0GnlICTNIKX6f35R7smlNqzIw2gjk5dEvVEj-KAdRI1ZdWTyMILDEhOpNaGm-np8V4GT_z42kqg0iz7mca/s1600/MurAribbon.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">A team of University of Notre Dame
researchers led by Mayland Chang and Shahriar Mobashery have discovered a new
class of antibiotics to fight bacteria such as methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus
aureus</i> (MRSA) and other drug-resistant bacteria that threaten public
health. Their research is published in the <i>Journal of the American Chemical
Society</i> in an article titled "Discovery of a New Class of
Non-beta-lactam Inhibitors of Penicillin-Binding Proteins with Gram-Positive
Antibacterial Activity."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The new class, called oxadiazoles, was
discovered in silico (by computer) screening and has shown promise in the
treatment of MRSA in mouse models of infection. Researchers who screened 1.2
million compounds found that the oxadiazole inhibits a penicillin-binding
protein, PBP2a, and the biosynthesis of the cell wall that enables MRSA to
resist other drugs. The oxadiazoles are also effective when taken orally. This
is an important feature as there is only one marketed antibiotic for MRSA that
can be taken orally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">MRSA has become a global public-health
problem since the 1960s because of its resistance to antibiotics. In the United
States alone, 278,000 people are hospitalized and 19,000 die each year from
infections caused by MRSA. Only three drugs currently are effective treatments,
and resistance to each of those drugs already exists.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The researchers have been seeking a
solution to MRSA for years. "Professor Mobashery has been working on the
mechanisms of resistance in MRSA for a very long time," Chang said.
"As we understand what the mechanisms are, we can devise strategies to develop
compounds against MRSA."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">"Mayland Chang and Shahriar
Mobashery's discovery of a class of compounds that combat drug resistant
bacteria such as MRSA could save thousands of lives around the world. We are
grateful for their leadership and persistence in fighting drug
resistance," said Greg Crawford, dean of the College of Science at the
University of Notre Dame.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Story Source:</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The above story is based on <a href="http://news.nd.edu/news/46745-notre-dame-chemists-discover-new-class-of-antibiotics/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">materials</span></a> provided by <a href="http://www.nd.edu/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">University
of Notre Dame</span></b></a>. <i>Note: Materials may be edited for content and
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New class of antibiotics discovered by chemists

A new class of antibiotics to fight bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and other drug-resis...