Bacteria-Derived Small Molecules as Novel Antimicrobial Adjuvants for the Treatment of Nosocomial and Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections
Abstract
This proposal addresses the Fiscal Year 2015 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program Topic Areas of Healthcare Acquired Infection Reduction and Respiratory Infections, with priorities in the development of new antimicrobials for the treatment of emerging resistant healthcare acquired infections and treatment of opportunistic respiratory infections. Central Critical Problem: Very few new antibiotics have been discovered in the last 30 years. Antibiotic-resistant infections are spreading and take a heavy toll on military personnel and civilians alike. Bacteria that resist current treatment regimens threaten our ability to control infections, especially in battlefield and healthcare settings. Antibiotic failure leads to persistent and relapsing infections, which cause organ damage and even death and greatly increase the cost of healthcare. The Innovation of the Idea: Developing new antibiotic compounds is extremely challenging, time-consuming, and expensive. A promising time- and cost-efficient alternative is to develop compounds (adjuvants) that interact with currently available antibiotics to make them much more effective, even against resistant bacteria. Our team will test the effectiveness of a promising new adjuvant compound in treating two types of bacteria that cause severe hospital-acquired infections, including life-threatening pneumonia in elderly, immune-compromised, and critically ill patients. The Ultimate Applicability and Impact of the Research: The discovery of adjuvants that enhance the bactericidal activity of conventional antibiotics may be rapidly exploited for the development of combination antibacterial regimens effective against drug-resistant and difficult to treat biofilm infections. Such bacterial infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in severe hospital-acquired infection and combat-related wound infections. The discovery of novel antibacterial strategies will undoubtedly improve the outcome and survival of military personnel, wounded Soldiers, Veterans, and their families afflicted by bacterial infections.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610097
Entities
People
- Dao Nguyen
Organizations
- McGill University Health Centre
- United States Army