Key points:
- A new family of polymers can kill bacteria without inducing antibiotic-resistance.
- The key is a catalyst called AquaMet, which can tolerate a high concentration of charges while being water-soluble.
- In tests, the polymers were successful against E.coli and MRSA.
Researchers at Texas A&M have taken a step forward in the fight against antibiotic resistance. They have developed a new family of polymers capable of killing bacteria without inducing antibiotic resistance by disrupting the membrane of these microorganisms.
The key to the design is a catalyst called AquaMet. The research team says they were able to synthesize the new polymer by designing a positively charged molecule that can be stitched many times to form a large molecule made of the same repeating charged motif using AquaMet. According to lead investigator Quentin Michaudel, AquaMet was the ideal choice as it can tolerate a high concentration of charges and also be water-soluble—a feature that is uncommon for this type of process.
After design, the researchers successfully tested their polymers against two main types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria—E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). They also tested their polymers’ toxicity against human red blood cells.
“A common issue with antibacterial polymers is a lack of selectivity between bacteria and human cells when targeting the cellular membrane,” said Michaudel. “The key is to strike a right balance between effectively inhibiting bacteria growth and killing several types of cells indiscriminately.”
The team will now focus on improving the activity of its polymers against bacteria—specifically, their selectivity for bacterial cells versus human cells—before moving on to in vivo assays.
“We are in the process of synthesizing a variety of analogs with that exciting goal in mind,” said Michaudel.