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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bacterial infections have become a serious problem threatening human health worldwide. The overuse of antibiotics has promoted drug-resistant mutations in bacteria, causing almost all clinically used antibiotics to develop resistance in different strains.

In May 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its list of drug-resistant bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health, among which Pseudomonas aeruginosa was listed as a high-priority pathogen. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a particularly dangerous bacterium that can cause a wide range of infections, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and bloodstream infections.

It is known for its ability to develop resistance to antibiotics quickly, making it challenging to treat and posing a significant risk to immunocompromised patients, such as those in hospitals or with chronic illnesses. Given the urgency of the situation, it is essential to develop new treatment strategies to combat superbug infections.

Recently, a team led by Professor Hongzhe Sun from the Department of Chemistry at The University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with the University of Groningen (Netherlands) and Nankai University, has made a breakthrough in solving this challenging problem. Their work has been published in Nature Microbiology.

The team's research has shown the combination of different types of antibiotics with bismuth-based drugs (such as bismuth subsalicylate, commonly known as Pepto-Bismol) disrupts bacterial iron homeostasis, effectively restoring the bactericidal function of multiple antibiotics. This combination therapy leads to the elimination of multi-drug resistant bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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