In collaboration with the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Geneva, researchers from the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MITs research enterprise in Singapore, have created a novel combination therapy using the anticancer drug Mitoxantrone along vancomycin to treat vancomycin-resistant bacteria with Enterococcus faecalis (VRE).

VRE is a "hard-to-kill" bacterium that can result in serious infections, such as bloodstream, urinary tract, and wound infections brought on by catheters or surgical operations.

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious worldwide health issue that resulted in 4.95 million deaths in 2019. According to projections, 47% of all AMR-related fatalities will occur in the Asia-Pacific region by 2050.

Innovative approaches being investigated to treat bacterial infections include the use of antibiotics that can get around resistance mechanisms and host-directed medicines that strengthen the innate human immune system.

Mitoxantrone (MTX) is a powerful antibiotic against Enterococcus faecalis with great potential as a dual bacterial- and host-targeted therapy. According to a study, MTX sped up the healing of wounds by boosting macrophages ability to fight off VRE infections and by luring more immune cells to the site of the infection.

Researchers have identified mitoxantrone as a highly effective dual bacterium- and host-targeted treatment against vancomycin-resistant bacterial infections (VRE). By introducing more immune cells to the infection site and improving their ability to destroy bacteria, it has the power to strengthen the host immune system and speed up wound healing. 

In order to get ready for a clinical trial, the researchers are pursuing additional preclinical studies with a focus on the creation of topical medications for persistent diabetic wound infections.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/smart-researchers-develop-novel-combination-bacterium-and-host-targeted-therapy-for-treating-vancomycin-resistant-bacterial-infections/98464070)