In the war between the human race and malignant bacteria, researchers at Academia Sinica's Genomics Research Center yesterday struck a blow when they announced a breakthrough that could lead to a range of replacements for an antibiotic to which such bacteria have developed resistance.
The center's research has been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
"Our characterization of four key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of A40926, an antibiotic similar to vancomycin, allows us to genetically engineer and develop drug candidates," research center fellow Li Tsung-lin (李宗璘) told the Taipei Times.
Li said that when bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, they gradually develop resistance. Their hosts then take stronger antibiotics, only to encourage further resistance, leading to a sort of stalemate.
"In earlier times simple antibiotics were used to cure most infections, but bacteria nowadays have gotten clever," Li said, citing the discovery of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) in 1985. "VRE was a strain of intestinal bacteria found to be resistant to vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic traditionally seen as our last resort or `trump card' against bacteria."
"Our breakthrough allows us to produce analogues of A40926, an antibiotic structurally similar to vancomycin, which means we would have many drug candidates potentially effective in fighting bacteria resistant to A40926," said Tsai Ming-Daw (
The increased diversity of A40926 is a key achievement, Tsai said, since "most bacteria eventually develop drug resistance, but genetic mapping allows us to produce a good number of analogues unrecognizable to them, meaning we'll always have something that works."
The drug candidates were developed to tackle hard-to-treat gram-positive bacterial infections, said Li, citing as examples methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) -- or vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) -- infections.
VISA was first identified in Japan in 1996, Li said, adding that VISA is a variation of the common Staphylococcus aureus that causes much more difficult-to-treat infections.
While Staphylococcus aureus is a usually benign strain of gram-positive bacteria found in membranes and open wounds, it is the cause of the second most common bacterial infections in Taiwan next to E. Coli, he said.
"When Staphylococcus aureus penetrates the skin of immune-compromised individuals, they can contract inflammation, cellulitis, or in severe cases, bacteremia and sepsis," Li said.
"We are hopeful that the drug candidates can be developed into antibiotics that are effective in treating hard-to-treat infections," he said.
Also see: TSU legislators say Academia Sinica biased in funding
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
RSS