AI cut development time of antibiotic that spares gut-friendly bacteria by two years
Animal tests show promise to target invasive strain of E. coli but approval for use in humans is still years away
A new antibiotic that targets only a specific strain of bacteria, while sparing friendlier bacteria, may bring some respite to patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The development of this antibiotic is part of the first wave of drugs whose development has been smoothed using AI.
Most of the antibiotics in use are broad-spectrum so kill both harmful and friendly bacteria, causing imbalances in gut flora. This can become a serious problem for patients with IBD, such as Crohn’s disease. Patients with these conditions can find their intestines colonised by high levels of Enterobacteriaceae, especially an invasive strain of Escherichia coli. Invasive E. coli replicate within intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages, and is resistant, on average, to four or more antibiotics. ‘Millions of people around the world suffer from Crohn’s, roughly 30% have [invasive E. coli] infections, and these patients don’t have ideal treatment options,’ says Jonathan Stokes, a computational chemist at McMaster University in Canada.