Brown researchers suggest retinoids as anti-MRSA antibiotic

In a paper published in Nature, researchers at Brown University and colleagues suggest that retinoids could be a new class of antibiotics, and developed an analog that could help treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Drugs that kill dormant (persister) or antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive bacteria such as MRSA are sorely needed. Retinoids are analogues of vitamin A used to treat acne and other dermatological conditions due to their ability to regulate epithelial cell growth...