New strategy for drug design: Bring copper atoms closer to bacteria

The discovery of antibiotics is a major breakthrough in medicine, saving countless lives

In order to solve this serious problem, scientists at Tokyo University of Science in Japan are exploring a new method to improve the antibacterial activity of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which is a commonly used disinfectant

To understand their method, we must first know how H2O2 fights bacteria and the role of copper

However, when using Cu(II)-containing complexes dissolved in solution, the only way they can get close to each other is accidental collision, which requires an excessive copper concentration

Based on this idea, the researchers developed a long polymer chain with dimer amine (DPA) as the copper-containing complex

Although the results of this study have opened up a new way for the design of antibacterial drugs, they may also have useful applications in the food industry

Journal Reference :

1. Shigehito Osawa, Kenichi Kitanishi, Maho Kiuchi, Motoyuki Shimonaka, Hidenori Otsuka.