By using advanced science and technology, scientists and chemists at Leeds are re-examining old compounds, helping to discover their strength for the development of new medicine.
University of Leeds’ antimicrobial research centre’s Alex O’Neill said: “We’re showing the value of reviewing compounds previously put on the back of the shelf.
“Amongst the 3,000 or so antibiotics discovered to date, only a handful have been brought into clinical use. There may be a wealth of compounds out there with untapped potential.
The latest research of Dr O’Neill showed that a compound identified in the 1940s could be developed into a new antibiotic drug.
Actinorhodins, a family of compounds, were originally found to have weak antibiotic properties. Researchers have undertaken the study to determine the potency of the compounds to develop into a new drug.
O’Neill said that that at the time scientists did not fully differentiate the individual compounds within the family when they examined them, leading to a less than precise picture of their properties.
Researchers intend to divide the family and select a specific compound (y-ACT) for further assessment through using current generation approaches.
Dr O’Neill further added: “y-ACT exhibits potent antibacterial activity against two important representatives of the ESKAPE* class of pathogens, which are bacteria that have developed the ability to ‘escape’ the action of existing drugs.”
Image: The University of Leeds scientists are studying discarded chemical compounds to develop into new drugs. Photo: courtesy of University of Leeds.