Disease

Scientists invent 'shape-shifting' antibiotic to fight deadly superbugs

The spread of drug-resistant "superbugs" — including bacteria that have evolved to thwart even the most potent antibiotics — represents an ever-growing threat to public health. Now, scientists have invented a new type of antibiotic that can take down these germs by rapidly rearranging its atoms and thus changing its shape.

To make the new antibiotic, the researchers used "click chemistry" — highly efficient chemical reactions that can quickly and reliably "click" different chemical building blocks together, like the two halves of a seat-belt buckle. The team's new antibiotic essentially clicks together an existing antibiotic called vancomycin with a molecule called bullvalene, whose atoms can easily swap positions and thus arrange themselves in more than a million possible configurations. The scientists have yet to test the drug on humans or other mammals.

Monkeypox - Asia

Hong Kong - A total of three imported Mpox cases and one import-related case have been recorded since September last year.

Taiwan - The Taiwan CDC announced this week 15 new confirmed cases of monkeypox (Mpox) in the country (13 local cases and 2 imported cases).

South Korea - The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that 2 additional patients (#19, #20) have occurred since the 18th Mpox confirmed case in Korea on April 18.

Japan - The Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) reports 98 cumulative monkeypox cases in 2023 as of April 12. Tokyo accounted for 80 of the cases, followed by eight in Osaka.