Antibodies Targeting a Bacteria-Only Sugar Clear Lethal Drug-Resistant Infections in Mice

Overview

• The findings were published February 4, 2026, in Nature Chemical Biology by researchers at the University of Sydney, WEHI, the University of Melbourne, and the Doherty Institute.
• The team chemically synthesized pseudaminic acid and sugar-decorated peptides to design pan-specific monoclonal antibodies that recognize the bacterial sugar across species.
• In mouse models, the antibodies enhanced phagocytosis and cleared otherwise lethal multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections.
• The antibody tools mapped pseudaminylated proteins in Helicobacter pylori, Campylobacter jejuni, and A. baumannii, informing research and potential diagnostics.
• Researchers plan to progress toward clinical development over the next five years with an initial focus on A. baumannii, and no human trials have begun.