Scientists turn toxins in wasps into antibiotics to fight stubborn infections

American researchers have transformed toxin in wasps into potential antibiotic drugs that may eliminate hard-to-cure bacterial infections.

In a study published in this week’s Nature Communications Biology, the researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology created peptides that are potent against bacteria but nontoxic to human cells.

They are variants from a peptide toxin normally found in a South American wasp which can kill bacteria, according to the study.

In the study of mice, the strongest peptide variant could completely eliminate a strain of bacteria that causes infections resistant to most antibiotics.

“We’ve repurposed a toxic molecule into one that is a viable molecule to treat infections,” said Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez, an MIT postdoc.

“By systematically analyzing the structure and function of these peptides, we’ve been able to tune their properties and activity,” said de la…