Researchers at the Institute of Biology Leiden have made a new medicine called EVG7. It works against a nasty gut bug named C. difficile using only a tiny amount of drug.
A Tiny Dose, Big Impact
The team tested EVG7 in mice. Even though they gave the mice a dose far smaller than the usual drug vancomycin, the infection rarely came back. A lower dose of EVG7 worked better than a higher dose or a reduced dose of vancomycin.
Saving Good Gut Bugs
Scientists looked at the mice’s gut microbes. Mice that got the low dose kept many helpful bacteria, especially a group called Lachnospiraceae. Those friendly bugs help stop C. difficile from growing again. Most other antibiotics wipe out many of these good microbes.
Less Chance of Resistance
Using a small amount of antibiotic can sometimes cause bacteria to become resistant. EVG7 did not show this problem. Even at the low dose, it killed the bad germs without letting them bounce back stronger.
Looking Ahead to Human Tests
The next step is to study how safe EVG7 is for people. If those tests go well, human trials could start in a few years. Funding is still needed, because companies often prefer medicines that make more money, like cancer drugs.
The study was published in Nature Communications and involved researchers from Leiden University Medical Center and North Carolina State University.