Title: Bacterial Resistance: Threats and Therapeutics
Bio:
https://carlson.chem.umn.edu/people/erin-e-carlson
Abstract:
The death toll from antibiotic-resistant (ABR) infection is projected to be 40 million people worldwide between now and 2050, when these infections will cause greater mortality than cancer in the US. Recent data indicates that treatment of only six of the most dangerous resistant bacteria costs more than $4.6 billion in the US annually. Despite this extreme situation, there has been little global investment in the development of new treatments to tackle ABR. Infections from Gram-negative pathogens are exceptionally difficult to treat given the high occurrence of resistance in these organisms. To address this challenge, our approach is to develop treatments that weaken the pathogen’s ability to establish and maintain an infection (anti-virulence) or to resist antibiotic treatment (adjuvant).
We have demonstrated that interruption of the way that bacteria interact with their environment has the potential to reverse and even eradicate ABR. Microbes are amazingly adaptive and can thrive under ever changing conditions while defending against other species and invading hosts. This success stems from their ability to sense and respond to diverse environmental cues, including trace nutrients, antibiotics, and signals from neighboring biota. This seminar will focus on resistance to polymyxin antibiotics, which are used as a last resort treatment. We have discovered a novel mechanism by which bacteria evolve resistance to this critical class of drugs following exposure to metals commonly found in waste sites throughout the world. In addition, we have developed therapeutic leads that interrupt the pathways required for resistant bacteria to sense and respond to the polymyxins, making them again susceptible to this clinically important class of drugs.
Keywords: antibiotics, bacteria, resistance, inhibitor development
Host: Prof. Helen Blackwell