Sometimes an antibiotic is much more
By Janet Raloff
For years, tetracyclines have proved invaluable as a family of everyday antibiotics. Now, a therapeutic alter ego for these drugs is emerging–one unrelated to their germ-fighting prowess.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/02/103.jpg?resize=118%2C262&ssl=1)
At the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in San Francisco last week, scientists reported using tetracyclines to thwart a variety of diseases including periodontal bone loss and cancer.