Kidney Disease Drug Could Help Solve Antibiotic Resistance Crisis

 A surprising solution to antibiotic resistance—one of the world's most urgent health threats—may come from an existing kidney disease medication, according to Penn State researchers.

The Antibiotic Resistance Problem

• Every antibiotic use drives bacteria to evolve resistance

• Up to 10% of IV antibiotics leak into the gut ("off-target")

• These leftover drugs train gut bacteria to survive treatment

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The Breakthrough Discovery

Researchers found that sevelamer—an FDA-approved drug for kidney patients—can:
✔ Bind and neutralize escaped antibiotics in the gut
✔ Protect "last-resort" drugs like vancomycin and daptomycin
✔ Prevent bacteria from developing resistance

"It's like putting a leash on antibiotics to stop them accidentally teaching bacteria to resist treatment," explains lead researcher Amir Sheikhi.

Why This Matters

• Vancomycin-resistant infections cause 50,000+ U.S. deaths/year

• Daptomycin is often the final treatment option

• Current solutions focus on stronger antibiotics (which bacteria eventually resist)

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How It Works

1. Patient receives IV antibiotics for infection

2. Sevelamer (taken orally) captures any antibiotics that reach the gut

3. Gut bacteria never encounter enough antibiotics to develop resistance

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Research Highlights

🔬 In mouse studies, sevelamer:

• Bound daptomycin within minutes

• Captured vancomycin within hours

• Reduced resistance evolution by 90%

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💊 Key advantage: Already FDA-approved with proven safety

Next Steps

• Clinical trials in humans starting soon

• Testing against other antibiotic types

• Could become standard practice in hospitals within 5 years

"This isn't about making new antibiotics—it's about protecting the ones we have," says co-author Andrew Read.

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Why This Matters Now
With antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" projected to cause 10 million annual deaths by 2050, this approach offers a practical way to:
✅ Extend the life of existing antibiotics
✅ Reduce hospital-acquired infections
✅ Buy time for new drug development

The team is seeking clinical partners to accelerate testing. Their findings appear in Small journal.