Vancomycin Resistance is Overcome by Conjugation of Polycationic Peptides.

Bacterial resistance threatens to destroy the achievements of antibiotic therapy. As P. Uhl et al. report in their Communication (DOI: 10.1002/anie.202002727), a 1000-fold increase in the activity of the reserve antibiotic vancomycin was achieved by using peptide conjugates. This approach reveals the potential of chemically modifying proven natural products as an alternative to the costly de novo development of active substances.