Latest news with #RanjanaPathania
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
IIT-Roorkee researchers develop promising drug candidate to fight antibiotic resistance
Dehradun: In a significant step forward in the global fight against antibiotic resistance , IIT-Roorkee researchers have developed a new drug candidate, Compound 3b, that can restore the effectiveness of a potent antibiotic against deadly drug-resistant bacteria, an official release said. Led by Ranjana Pathania from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, an IIT Roorkee team including Mangal Singh and Perwez Bakht, along with Norwegian collaborator Annette Bayer and her team from UiT Tromso, has designed a novel molecule that works alongside the antibiotic Meropenem to treat infections caused by KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae , a superbug listed among the World Health Organization's top-priority threats, the release said. "This breakthrough offers a promising solution to one of the world's most urgent health challenges -- antimicrobial resistance. Our compound neutralises the resistance mechanism, showing strong therapeutic results in preclinical models," Pathania, the principal investigator of the study, said. The molecule belongs to a class of β-lactamase inhibitor drugs that prevents bacterial enzymes from breaking down life-saving antibiotics. Compound 3b is highly specific, safe to human cells, and works synergistically with Meropenem to kill resistant bacteria, the release said, adding that lab and animal tests significantly reduced bacterial infection in the lungs.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
IIT Roorkee Finds Breakthrough To Beat World's Most Dangerous Superbugs
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee have developed a new drug candidate that could restore the power of a critical antibiotic against one of the world's most dangerous superbugs. The discovery offers renewed hope in the escalating battle against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The research team, led by Prof Ranjana Pathania from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, designed a novel molecule, Compound 3b, that works with a potent antibiotic Meropenem. This combination therapy has shown the ability to treat infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae, a pathogen designated as a top-priority threat by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its resistance to multiple drugs. "This breakthrough offers a promising solution to one of the world's most urgent health challenges," stated Prof. Pathania. "Our compound neutralises the resistance mechanism and shows strong therapeutic results in preclinical models." Compound 3b is a type of drug that prevents bacteria from using enzymes to destroy antibiotics. The study, which included collaboration with researchers from UiT Tromso in Norway, found the new compound to be highly specific, safe for human cells, and effective at reducing bacterial infection in lung tests on animals. The discovery of a drug like Compound 3b is a crucial step in a larger fight. Antibiotic resistance is a silent pandemic that makes once-treatable infections, from pneumonia and tuberculosis to common wound infections, lethal again. Without effective antibiotics, many modern medical procedures, including surgery, organ transplants, and cancer chemotherapy, become much more risky. This research is vital because it addresses a fundamental problem of the bacteria evolving faster than the speed at which new drugs are being developed. By revitalising existing antibiotics, Compound 3b provides a powerful new tool without starting from scratch. It is a strategic victory against a microbial enemy that threatens to unravel decades of medical progress. "This innovation reflects IIT Roorkee's commitment to developing impactful scientific solutions for global challenges. In the face of rising antibiotic resistance, such research provides critical hope for effective and accessible treatments," said IIT Roorkee director Prof KK Pant. The findings have been published in the prestigious Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and is expected to be a significant step forward in safeguarding public health from drug-resistant superbugs.
India Today
2 days ago
- Health
- India Today
IIT Roorkee, Norway team develops potential cure for antibiotic resistance
IIT Roorkee researchers have developed a new drug candidate that could help restore the effectiveness of a widely used antibiotic against hard-to-treat bacterial infections. The compound, called 3b, works with the antibiotic Meropenem to target KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium identified by the World Health Organisation as a top-priority pathogen due to its high resistance to ROORKEE, NORWAY TEAM DEVELOP COMPOUND TO COMBAT ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCEThe study was led by Professor Ranjana Pathania from IIT Roorkee's Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, with Dr. Mangal Singh and Perwez Bakht, in collaboration with Professor Annette Bayer and her team from UiT Troms¸ in found that Compound 3b blocks the enzyme that enables the bacteria to break down antibiotics. It is part of a class of drugs known as -lactamase inhibitors. Laboratory and animal model testing showed the compound to be safe for human cells and effective in combination with Meropenem in reducing bacterial load, including in lung infections.'This approach restores the antibiotic's activity, providing another option for treating resistant infections,' Professor Pathania KK Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, said the project reflects the institute's focus on addressing public health concerns through research and work, published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, could guide future development of treatments for drug-resistant infections. If successful in further testing, Compound 3b may be used alongside existing antibiotics to slow the spread of resistance is a growing concern globally, with experts warning that common infections may become harder to treat. Developments like this aim to extend the usefulness of current antibiotics while new drugs are in development.- Ends
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
IIT Roorkee researchers develop novel drug candidate to restore strength of antibiotics against drug-resistant bacteria
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee researchers have taken an innovative step towards the global fight against antibiotic resistance by developing a new drug candidate, Compound 3b, that has the potential to restore the effectiveness of a potent antibiotic against deadly drug-resistant bacteria. The newly discovered molecule belongs to a class of β-lactamase inhibitor drugs that prevent bacterial enzymes from breaking down life-saving antibiotics. The research team is led by Prof. Ranjana Pathania from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Roorkee, and includes Dr. Mangal Singh and Perwez Bakht, as well as along with Norwegian collaborators Prof. Annette Bayer and her team from UiT Tromsø. Also read: IIT-KGP appoints dean to look after students' well-being following multiple suicides The team designed a novel molecule that works alongside the antibiotic Meropenem to treat infections caused by KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, a superbug listed among the World Health Organization's top-priority threats, IIT Roorkee said in a statement. It further added that the newly discovered molecule belongs to a class of β-lactamase inhibitor drugs that prevent bacterial enzymes from breaking down life-saving antibiotics. Speaking about the new discovery, Prof. Pathania said that the breakthrough offers a promising solution to one of the world's most urgent health challenges, antimicrobial resistance. 'Our compound neutralizes the resistance mechanism and shows strong therapeutic results in preclinical models,' she added. Also read: IIT Guwahati to establish Manekshaw centres for defence & national security research Prof. K. K. Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, said that the innovation reflects IIT Roorkee's commitment to developing impactful scientific solutions for global challenges. 'In the face of rising antibiotic resistance, such research provides critical hope for effective and accessible treatments,' Prof. Pant added. It may be mentioned here that the research has been published in the prestigious Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, and is expected to contribute significantly to future drug development efforts targeting superbugs. Also read: Bright young minds should shape India's future: Prez Murmu at 45th convocation of IIT-ISM in Dhanbad IIT Roorkee stated that the discovery marks a significant advancement in safeguarding public health, particularly at a time when antibiotic resistance is threatening global healthcare systems.
