Teixobactin and its analogues: a new hope in antibiotic discovery

Increasing bacterial resistance against current antibiotics and lack of new molecules to combat bacterial resistance are key challenges to global health. There is, therefore, a continuing need to develop new antibiotics. Teixobactin, a cyclic undecapeptide, displays excellent antibacterial activities against a range of pathogenic bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Interestingly, it operates by multiple modes of actions and is bactericidal toward S. aureus without detectable resistance. This unique combination of wide Gram-positive activity coupled with its inability to elicit resistance make teixobactin a very attractive molecule for antimicrobial therapeutic development. This Viewpoint discusses teixobactin, its analogues, and the challenges and opportunities associated with their future development