Top: Healthy E. coli cells. Middle: 20 minutes drug treatment – significant cell membrane weakening and disruption. Bottom: 3 hours drug treatment – Complete cell breakdown and bacterial death.
Recce, worked with Microscopy Australia at the University of Western Australia to capture images of RECCE® 327 destroying the bacteria Escherichia coli, the superbug form of which has been declared by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as an urgent threat to world health. The scanning electron microscope images demonstrate the drug’s unique mechanism of action, initially weakening the cell walls of the bacteria, then causing cell wall collapse and bacterial cell death within a few hours. These data alongside a variety of other data will support Recce’s Investigational New Drug (IND) submission to the US FDA for a Phase I clinical trial for treating blood poisoning from bacteria.
Recce’s Executive Chairman, Dr Graham Melrose, said, “Following on from our January announcement that RECCE® 327 reduces illness in mice infected by resistant E. coli bacteria, these images show our lead compound in action. The images reinforce the essential essence of Recce’s unique and patented synthetic antibiotic technology to non-selectively attack and weaken the outer membranes of bacteria, which then collapse due to the release of their internal metabolic pressures. We believe that RECCE® 327 offers great potential as a new class of antibiotic to address the urgent medical need caused by bacteria becoming ever more resistant to the current arsenal of antibiotics.”
Untreated E. coli cells (oblong shapes) are healthy, smooth and intact.
August 15, 2017
