Pathogen-driven reactivation of metabolite prodrugs defines nitroxoline's iron-deprivation antibiotic activity
Felix Deschner, Thorsten Kinsinger, Alexander Felix Kiefer, JUERGEN BARTEL, Alexander Voltz, Kai Schließmann, Nina Walzer, Soeren L Becker, Andreas M. Kany, Franziska Fries, Jennifer E. Herrmann, Rolf Müller
This study identifies nitroxoline's antibacterial mechanism as pathogen-driven reactivation of its metabolites through iron deprivation in uropathogens.
bioRxiv · Jun 11, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology