Repurposing the Ionophore, PBT2, for Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infections
Freda E.‐C. Jen, Jennifer L. Edwards, Ibrahim M. El‐Deeb, Mark J. Walker, Mark von Itzstein, Michael P. Jennings
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) N. gonorrhoeae is a current public health threat. New therapies are urgently needed. PBT2 is an ionophore that disrupts metal homeostasis. PBT2 administered with zinc is shown to reverse resistance to antibiotics in several bacterial pathogens. Here we show that both N. meningitidis and MDR N. gonorrhoeae are sensitive to killing by PBT2 alone. PBT2 is, thus, a candidate therapeutic for MDR N. gonorrhoeae infections.
Topics & Concepts
Neisseria gonorrhoeaeMicrobiologyMultiple drug resistanceAntibioticsNeisseriaceaeMedicineVirologyBiologyBacterial Infections and VaccinesAntibiotic Resistance in BacteriaReproductive tract infections research