Obiettivo
Despite the advent of the antibiotic era, infectious diseases retain their pre-eminent position as major worldwide causes of morbidity and mortality.
This problem has been worsened by the emergence of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria and the failure of Pharmaceutical company drug discovery programmes to design antibiotics with truly novel modes of action. Europe's competitiveness in the field of antibacterial discovery programs is currently seriously compromised due to:
- the reduction or closure of antibacterial drug discovery programmes of major Pharmaceutical companies or their transfer to the USA;
- the subsequent drain of European scientists in this field leaving for the USA; and
- the significant drift of academic expertise away from research on bacteriology.
This has resulted in a European fragmentation in this area with currently no European research training programs offering opportunities to redress this imbalance by providing specialist multidisciplinary training in this field. ERA is therefore at serious risk of becoming non-competitive with North America where there is critical mass and excellent training in this field.
Hence there is an urge for a co-operative collaborative strategy to implement new multidisciplinary-based approaches for the discovery of novel antibacterials that cannot be achieved by a single European Institution, but is attainable through the establishment of this EST programme provided by international leaders in this research area.
The EST research project will focus on the identification of key bacterial genes and gene products, the inhibition of which will result in attenuation of the (a) disease-causing and (b) natural antibiotic resistance capacities of pathogenic bacteria.
This project will generate a network of experts which will reduce brain loss in this field to the USA and attract investment from industry with a view to create a stronger European-based Pharmaceutical Industry for the benefit of the patient.
Campo scientifico
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug discovery
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseases
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsantibiotics
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug resistanceantibiotic resistance
Parole chiave
Invito a presentare proposte
FP6-2004-MOBILITY-2
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