New organic compounds that enhance the effect of antibiotics and suppress resistant bacteria have been developed at Saratov State University (SSU), according to the university’s press service.
“We have created new molecules with a bicyclic structure: it is like creating a new type of key with a complex shape that bacteria have not yet seen. These molecules do not just kill bacteria on their own, but also enhance the effect of existing antibiotics,” the statement quotes the project leader, SSU chemistry professor Vyacheslav Grinev.
Chemists synthesized 15 new compounds of the class of bicyclic hydrazines. Several of them showed pronounced activity in laboratory tests against two pathogens—Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These bacteria belong to the group of so-called ‘clinically significant’ pathogens: they cause severe purulent complications, are difficult to treat, and often lead to prolonged hospitalizations, especially in patients with weakened immune systems or after surgeries.
One of the synthesized compounds suppressed the growth of staphylococcus at a level comparable to kanamycin—an antibiotic used for complicated infections—while another showed an effect comparable to tetracycline against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is resistant to most drugs.
To understand why the molecules behave this way, the researchers used computer modeling methods to assess how a compound would behave in a biological environment: whether it could penetrate a cell, trigger a toxic response, and which proteins would most likely become its target.
The modeling results showed that the new molecules affect several important bacterial mechanisms. They bind to enzymes involved in DNA synthesis and cell wall construction, and also block the quorum-sensing system—a mechanism by which bacteria form biofilms and protect themselves from drugs.
At the same time, SSU researchers emphasize that it is too early to talk about the appearance of drugs based on the new molecules in pharmacies. Even the fundamental part of the research is not yet complete. The form of future drugs also remains to be determined: they could be tablets, injections, or agents for local application—for example, ointments or solutions for wound treatment, an area where resistant infections are prevalent.
