As antibiotic resistance grows, researchers turn to copper to fight infections

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-12T02:44:44.123Z • Permanent link

Copper, a naturally occurring element, has long been prized for its antimicrobial properties. Researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) are now turning to copper to fight antibiotic-resistant infections, a pressing global health concern. Led by Dr. James E. Rex, a renowned expert in infectious diseases, the VMBS team is investigating the potential of copper-based therapies to combat the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have been exploring the use of copper ions to target and kill bacteria. Their findings, published in a 2020 study, suggest that copper can selectively kill bacteria while sparing host cells, making it a promising approach for treating infections. The research team, led by Dr. Eric M. Wasserman, has been collaborating with VMBS researchers to develop a copper-based therapy for urinary tract infections.

The project, which began in 2019, has received significant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DoD). The researchers are currently conducting clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of copper-based therapies in humans. The success of this project could have far-reaching implications for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections, which are a major public health concern worldwide.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to global health, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that antibiotic resistance could cause up to 10 million deaths annually by 2050. The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has significant implications for the pharmaceutical industry, with many companies struggling to develop new antibiotics that can effectively combat these resistant strains.

The potential impact on the Global Knowledge Bases domain cannot be overstated. The development of copper-based therapies could provide a new approach for treating antibiotic-resistant infections, which could save lives and reduce the economic burden of these infections on healthcare systems worldwide. This could also have significant implications for the research community, with potential collaborations between academia, industry, and government agencies.

The pharmaceutical industry is already taking notice, with several companies investing in research and development of copper-based therapies. For example, the biotechnology company, CuMed, has developed a copper-based antibiotic that has shown promising results in preclinical trials. The company plans to initiate clinical trials in the near future to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its copper-based therapy.