Researchers in Spain have discovered a new class of antibiotics made from gold that could help combat multidrug-resistant "superbugs."
The study, which will be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), identified 19 gold-based compounds that were effective against at least one hard-to-treat bacterium, and some were effective against several.
Gold bullion bars are pictured after being inspected and polished at the ABC Refinery in Sydney on August 5, 2020. - Gold prices hit 2,000 USD an ounce on markets for the first time on August 4, the latest surge in a commodity seen as a refuge amid economic uncertainty.DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images
The Potential of Gold-based Drugs
The study's lead author, Dr. Sara M. Soto González, of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, said that the gold-based drugs hold great potential as new antibiotics.
Multidrug-resistant bacteria are becoming an increasing public health threat, with drug-resistant infections killing an estimated 700,000 people a year globally.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if nothing is done, this number is anticipated to increase to 10 million by 2050. The creation of novel antibiotics has slowed down, and the few that are produced are generally variants of already available drugs.
Given that gold is known to have antibacterial characteristics, gold metalloantibiotics represent a promising prospective new strategy. A variety of multidrug-resistant bacteria taken from patients were tested for activity by the researchers against 19 gold complexes.
Four of the strains investigated were on the WHO list of antibiotic-resistance "priority pathogens," and all of them were multidrug-resistant.
In testing, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis were successfully countered by 16 of the gold complexes.
Another 16 of the complexes were successful against other gram-negative bacteria, which have higher levels of inherent antibiotic resistance.
The gold compounds kill bacteria via several different methods. They destroy DNA, interfere with the operation of the bacterial membrane, and block enzymes from operating.
Most importantly, this multimodal approach should stop the emergence of antibiotic resistance, according to the researchers.
"It is particularly exciting to see that some of the gold complexes were effective against MRSA and multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, as these are the two biggest causes of hospital-acquired infections," Dr. Soto González said in a press release statement.
The production of the gold (III) complexes is simple and reasonably priced. They are extremely simple to modify, which opens up possibilities for drug development.
"With research on other types of gold metalloantibiotics also providing promising results, the future is bright for gold-based antibiotics," Dr. Soto González added.
The study's findings could be a significant breakthrough in the fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria, offering hope for new treatments to combat these "superbugs."
The next step for researchers will be to develop these gold-based compounds into viable treatments for human use, which could take several years of further research and testing.
