Colistin: old antibiotic, new tricks

Scientists from Imperial College London (UK) and the University of Texas at Austin (TX, USA) have revealed how ‘last-resort’ antibiotic colistin kills bacteria and have discovered a potential way to enhance the antibiotic’s efficacy. A team led by Andrew Edwards (Imperial College London), in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Texas has uncovered colistin’s bacteria killing mechanism and a potential way to enhance that antibacterial activity, which could revolutionize how the antibiotic is used. Colistin is an ‘antibiotic of last-resort’ that is used to treat superbugs such as Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, all of which can...