Methods for Producing and Using Polymyxins (Colistins A and B)

Application(Product)Highyield production of Colistins A and BProblemsAddressed    (benefits/advantages)Increasing antibiotic resistance in bacteria presents a criticalproblem for public health. Limited therapeutic options have forced infectiousdisease clinicians and microbiologists to reappraise the clinical applicationof relatively old polymyxin antibiotics, thus creating an increased need forthis class of com-pounds. Resistance to polymyxin (aka Colistin) is currentlyvery rare, rendering attractive their use against certain bacterial strains.Nevertheless, in vitro, polymyxin has had excellent activity against a varietyof gram-negative bacteria, including those that are resistant to other classesof antimicrobials (e.g., penicillin and amino glycosides).Polymyxins are also used to neutralize or absorb LPS contaminatingsamples that are intended for use in e.g. immunological experiments.Minimization of LPS contamination can be important because LPS can evoke strongreactions from immune cells and therefore distort experimental results.Outside the medical and veterinary arenas, the use of antibioticsby biotech/biopharma as additives to biofermentation mixtures is a ubiquitousmeans to eliminate contamination of broth by extraneous microorganisms.

USA