In a new study, researchers have discovered a new arsenic-based antibiotic.
The finding may help solve the problem of antibiotic resistance. The research was conducted by a team from Florida International University.
Antibiotic resistance has become one of the biggest public health threats.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around two million people in the U.S. are infected with drug-resistant bacteria every year.
It is important to find new and novel antibiotics to combat the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the world.
In the current study, the team has discovered a new broad-spectrum antibiotic that contains arsenic.
The new antibiotic is called arsinothricin or AST.
According to the researchers, it is a natural product made by soil bacteria and can fight against many types of bacteria.
It is the first and only known natural arsenic-containing antibiotic.
The team tested AST on human blood cells and found that it didn’t kill human cells. This means although it contains arsenic, it can be safe to use.
The finding is in line with previous findings that arsenicals can be used as antimicrobials and anti-cancer drugs.
Currently, arsenicals are still used to treat tropical diseases and prevent infectious diseases in poultry.
The new finding may help develop better treatments to fight diseases.
The team is now patenting their discovery. They hope to work with the pharmaceutical industry to develop the compound into a drug.
One author of the study is Barry P. Rosen.
The study is published in Nature’s Communication Biology.
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