A new antibiotic candidate discovered at McMaster University is showing early promise against some of the world’s most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, including Salmonella, E. coli and Klebsiella. The compound, called manikomycin, is notable not only for its apparent potency but also for the way it works: researchers say it targets a previously unknown vulnerability in bacterial cells, raising the possibility of an entirely new class of treatments.
A novel target inside the bacterial ribosome
According to the report, manikomycin works by blocking the exit site of the ribosome, the protein-producing machinery inside bacterial cells. The discovery was published on June 3 in Nature and was described by the researchers as different from any antibiotic currently used in clinics.
Gerry Wright, who led the team, said that no antibiotic prescribed in clinics today behaves this way, and that the finding establishes both a new drug candidate and a new bacterial target that could potentially be exploited by future medicines.
Why the discovery matters for antibiotic resistance
The significance of the work lies in the fact that many existing antibiotics attack the same limited set of bacterial weaknesses. That pattern has helped bacteria evolve broad resistance mechanisms. By aiming at a different part of the ribosome, the researchers say manikomycin may avoid those existing defenses, at least initially.
The team noted that the compound is now being advanced toward clinical development. Early results also suggest it is not toxic to human cells and works well in a lab-controlled infection model, which are key early milestones in the drug-development process.
From overlooked bacteria to new drug discovery
The compound was identified using fractionation, a technique that allowed the researchers to isolate scarcer molecules from chemical mixtures produced by Streptomyces rimosus. The approach helped the team filter out more abundant compounds and uncover a molecule that had gone unnoticed for years.
Manpreet Kaur, the first author on the study, said the result points to broader opportunities for antibiotic discovery by revisiting the extracts of well-studied bacteria. The work also builds on a long scientific lineage, echoing the earlier antibiotic discoveries that helped usher in the modern antibiotic era.
For now, manikomycin remains an early-stage candidate, but the finding adds momentum to the search for new ways to tackle antimicrobial resistance, one of the most urgent challenges in global medicine. Researchers say the next steps will determine whether the compound can move beyond the laboratory and toward clinical use.
Source: News-Medical report
