Researchers from the Infectious Diseases group at Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), the Infections and Antimicrobial Therapies group at the "http://www.ibecbarcelona.eu/new-hope-against-growing-threat-of-antibiotic-resistance/" Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the research group in Mycobacteria at the "http://www.uab.cat/web/universitat-autonoma-de-barcelona-1345467954774.html" Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have identified a molecule with huge potential as a new type of antibacterial agent. The finding has been published in " "http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0122049" PlosOne . “During the course of infection, bacteria need to multiply inside the body, and they require active DNA synthesis to multiply”, says Dr. Eduard Torrents, who heads the Bacterial Infections: Antimicrobial Therapies group at IBEC. “By targeting the key enzyme that allows this to happen, we can inhibit the growth of various types of undesirable and disease-causing bacteria”.The molecule, known as M-HA, works as a ‘radical scavenger’ compound to inhibit ribonucleotide reductase, an essential enzyme in DNA replication and repair. It also demonstrates low toxicity in eukaryotic cells, which heralds a great improvement on existing RNR-inhibiting drugs, which are mostly used against cancer or viruses and are too toxic to be used as antibacterials.Access to effective antibiotics is essential in all health systems. Their use has reduced childhood mortality and increased life expectancy, and they are crucial for invasive surgery and treatments such as cancer chemotherapy and organ transplants. The most recent World Economic Forum Global Risks reports have listed antimicrobial resistance as one of the greatest economical and societal risks threats to human health. In addition to increased resistance to existing agents, there is a lack of new antibiotics in development, according to a study by the European Medicines Agency. The projection of 10 million deaths a year by 2050 is greater than the current annual death toll from cancer.It is in that context that Dr. Joan Gavaldà from VHIR states that “there’s a crucial need for funding for research relevant to developing new antibiotics and alternatives for treating AMR, as well as increasing economic incentives for developing urgently needed antibiotics and to preserve antibiotic effectiveness. New antimicrobials with new mechanisms of action against gram-negative bacteria, like ours, are urgently needed in order to preserve medicine as we know it”.