At a Glance
- Scientists have identified a new antibiotic called lariocidin. This antibiotic targets bacteria by disrupting their protein synthesis, offering a novel method to fight strains resistant to current treatments.
- Lariocidin’s mechanism involves binding to the bacterial ribosome, making it highly effective against antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and helping address a global health crisis responsible for millions of deaths annually.
- Derived from a soil bacterium, lariocidin belongs to a class of molecules called lasso peptides and has shown strong antibacterial activity without harming human cells in laboratory and animal studies.
- In mouse models, lariocidin was particularly effective against Acinetobacter baumannii, a notoriously dangerous pathogen, signaling its potential for future therapeutic use in humans.
- Researchers focus on increasing production and refining lariocidin for future clinical trials, aiming to transform this promising molecule into a practical and reliable antibiotic treatment.
Scientists have discovered a new antibiotic molecule called lariocidin, which could offer a breakthrough in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria. Researchers at McMaster University found that lariocidin has a unique way of targeting bacteria, setting it apart from other antibiotics. The molecule, produced by a soil bacterium called Paenibacillus, attacks bacteria by interfering with their protein-synthesis machinery, preventing them from growing and surviving. This new mechanism of action makes lariocidin a promising candidate to combat infections caused by bacteria resistant to traditional antibiotics.
The discovery of lariocidin is significant because antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global public health threat. AMR occurs when bacteria evolve to resist the drugs that once killed them, making infections more challenging to treat. The World Health Organization reports that AMR contributes to millions of deaths each year, making searching for new antibiotics more urgent. Lariocidin’s unique ability to bind to the ribosome, a component of bacteria responsible for protein production, allows it to effectively stop bacterial growth without being affected by common resistance mechanisms.
Lariocidin is part of a class of molecules known as “lasso peptides,” known for their structured and knotted shape. In the lab, the researchers found that lariocidin has a novel way of attacking bacteria and is not toxic to human cells. In tests on mice, it showed potent activity against Acinetobacter baumannii, a dangerous bacterial pathogen. This is exciting because lariocidin has shown promise in both laboratory tests and animal models, suggesting it could be an effective treatment in humans.
The team is now working on ways to produce lariocidin in larger quantities to test its potential in clinical trials. Although the initial discovery was groundbreaking, much work remains before the molecule can be used as an effective drug. The researchers are exploring ways to refine and improve lariocidin so it can be developed into a reliable treatment for infections caused by resistant bacteria.
Further details can be found in the original research paper published in Nature.
References
- McMaster University. (2025, March 26). A breakthrough moment: Researchers discover new class of antibiotics. Phys.Org; McMaster University. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-breakthrough-moment-class-antibiotics.html
- Jangra, M., Travin, D. Y., Aleksandrova, E. V., Kaur, M., Darwish, L., Koteva, K., Klepacki, D., Wang, W., Tiffany, M., Sokaribo, A., Coombes, B. K., Vázquez-Laslop, N., Polikanov, Y. S., Mankin, A. S., & Wright, G. D. (2025). A broad-spectrum lasso peptide antibiotic targeting the bacterial ribosome. Nature, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08723-7
