Daunorubicin resensitizes Gram-negative superbugs to the last-line antibiotics and prevents the transmission of antibiotic resistance.

ABSTRACT: Although meropenem, colistin, and tigecycline are recognized as the last-line antibiotics for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GN), the emergence of mobile resistance genes such as bla_NDM, mcr, and tet(X) severely compromises their clinical effectiveness. Developing novel antibiotic adjuvants to restore the effectiveness of existing antibiotics provides a feasible approach to address this issue. Herein, we discover that a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug daunorubicin (DNR) drastically potentiates the activity of last-resort antibiotics against MDR-GN pathogens and biofilm-producing bacteria. Furthermore, DNR effectively inhibits the evolution and spread of colistin and tigecycline resistance. Mechanistically, DNR and colistin c

SUBMITTER: Cai J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10206174 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature