US researchers claim a test they have developed shows that readily available antibiotics can effectively treat superbugs.
The team of UC Santa Barbara scientists claim that they are not prescribed because the gold-standard test predicts they will not work.
The new test may improve the way antibiotics are developed, tested and prescribed, they said – and it is openly available to all.
The scientists addressed a “fundamental flaw” in the healthcare paradigm for determining antibiotic resistance – it does not account for environmental conditions in the body that impact drug potency.
By simulating conditions in the body, the new test identified several effective antibiotics rejected by standard testing.
The study involved screening more than 500 antibiotic/bacteria combinations.
The findings suggest that the standard test is incorrect ~15% of the time.
