The pain relieving effects of drugs like ibuprofen are well known. But ibuprofen and its relatives, known as nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, may someday have another use: as antibiotics. Researchers tested three anti-inflammatory drugs: bromfenac, used in eye drops; and carpfonen and wedeproofen, both for treating conditions like arthritis in dogs. The investigators found that all three drugs bind to something called the DNA clamp(?) in bacteria. That clamp is essential to repairing and replicating DNA. By jamming it, the painkillers can actually kill live cola(?) in a test tu... at least. The finding appears in the journal Chemistry & Biology. Study author Ahron Oakley of Australia University of Wollengong says we still need clinical trials to tell if this trick holds true in humans. But this study is a first step. "This is to alert a lot of technicians to the fact some of the nonsteroidal ... they using may have this targeted effect." It gives drug developers, like Oakley and his colleagues, a whole new way to attack antibiotic-resistant bacteria.