Because the enzyme Lnt is not found in humans – it only exists in bacteria and helps them build stable cell membranes through which things are transported in and out of cells – it is of huge potential significance as a therapeutic target as any bespoke drug designed to attack it should have fewer side-effects for patients.
The research has just been published in the leading international journal Science Advances.
Confronting the Threat Worldwide
Martin Caffrey said: “A number of disease-causing bacteria have developed resistance to a plethora of first-choice drugs used to treat them and, with antimicrobial resistance on the rise in general, the World Health Organization has for some time now advised that a post-antibiotic era, in which minor injuries and common infections could prove fatal, is looming”.
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“New drugs are therefore badly needed and, while the journey can be a long one from providing a structural blueprint like this to developing a new drug, the precision to which we have resolved this potential target paints something of a ‘bullseye’ on that target.”
Reference :
- Structure snapshots reveal the mechanism of a bacterial membrane lipoprotein N-acyltransferase
– (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adf5799)
Source: Eurekalert
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#Quest #Conquer #Antibiotic #Resistance #Structural #Secrets
