Supermetals versus superbugs
With pathogenic bacteria rapidly overcoming our arsenal of organic antibiotics, James Mitchell Crow asks if it is time to revisit metal-based antimicrobials
Liquid suspensions of heavy metal complexes are generally not meant to be swallowed. But nestled between lead and polonium at position 83 on the periodic table is an elemental exception. Bismuth is a heavy metal with long history of medical use. Bismuth subsalicylate has been used to treat gastrointestinal troubles since the 18th century, and in the US has been marketed as over-the-counter medicine Pepto-Bismol since 1919. Today it is widely prescribed as part of a combination therapy to treat stomach ulcers caused by the drug-resistant Gram-negative bacterium, Helicobacter pylori.
With bacterial infections from drug-resistant pathogens now leading to tens of thousands of deaths per year across the US and EU, bismuth’s antimicrobial properties are no longer just a curiosity. A growing number around the world are actively investigating metal complexes as potential antibiotics.