Narrow-Spectrum Antibiotics:
Scientists recently found that FP 100 (Hygromycin A), a first-in-class, small molecule, narrow-spectrum antibiotic, successfully eradicates Fusobacterium nucleatum without harming the oral or gut microbiomes.
- Narrow-Spectrum Antibiotics are classified as “narrow-spectrum” or “broad-spectrum” depending on the range of bacterial types they affect.
- Narrow-spectrum antibiotics are active against a selected group of bacterial types.
- They can act on either gram +ve or gram –ve but not both.
- They are used for the specific infection when the causative organism is known.
- They will not kill as many of the normal microorganisms in the body as the broad-spectrum antibiotics.
- Because they target very specific bacteria, they don’t cause an increase in bacterial resistance and avoid the spread of drug-resistant infections.
- Examples include Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, Erythromycin, etc.
