halicin

Halicin is an experimental small molecule antibiotic originally developed as a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor for diabetes treatment under the code name SU-3327. Its development for diabetes was discontinued due to poor efficacy. In 2019, researchers at MIT identified halicin as a potent broad-spectrum antibiotic using artificial intelligence-based screening. Halicin exhibits activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains such as Clostridioides difficile, Acinetobacter baumannii, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Its mechanism of action is distinct from traditional antibiotics; it disrupts the electrochemical gradient across bacterial cell membranes by sequestering iron inside cells and interfering with pH regulation and ATP production—leading to bacterial cell death. This novel mode of action makes it less likely for bacteria to develop resistance compared to conventional antibiotics. Preclinical studies indicate that halicin is most suitable for treating intestinal infections due to its rapid elimination and low systemic plasma concentrations in animal models.