Abstract
Bacteria are rapidly developing resistance to drugs, rendering treatment of some diseases difficult or impossible. A report by Onishi et al . in this issue ( p. 980 ) announces the discovery of a new drug directed at a never-before-assaulted part of the bacteria, the lipid A portion of the bacterial outer membrane. In his Perspective, Vaara discusses the worldwide problem of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria and how this new agent exemplifies the tack we must now take to fight these diseases.