Rabbit anti-Quinolones polyclonal antibody. The quinolones are a family of synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotics. The term quinolone(s) refers to potent synthetic chemotherapeutic antibacterials. The first generation of the quinolones begins with the introduction of nalidixic acid in 1962 for treatment of urinary tract infections in humans. Nalidixic acid was discovered by George Lesher and coworkers in a distillate during an attempt at chloroquine synthesis. They prevent bacterial DNA from unwinding and duplicating. (See Mechanism of Action later.) Quinolones, in comparison to other antibiotic classes, have the highest risk of causing colonization with MRSA and Clostridium difficile. For this reason, a general avoidance of fluoroquinolones is recommended based on the available evidence and clinical guidelines. The majority of quinolones in clinical use belong to the subset fluoroquinolones, which have a fluorine atom attached to the central ring system, typically at the 6-position or C-7 position.