Phenotypic screening the host antimicrobial responses towards the eradication of Mycobacterium tubercuosis

Project Information

PHANTOM

Grant agreement ID: 795224

DOI

10.3030/795224

Project closed

EC signature date 23 March 2018

Start date 1 October 2018

End date 30 September 2020

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 170 121,60

EU contribution

€ 170 121,60

Coordinated by

FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE BIOENGINYERIA DE CATALUNYA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PHANTOM (Phenotypic screening the host antimicrobial responses towards the eradication of Mycobacterium tubercuosis)

Reporting period: 2018-10-01 to 2020-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The co-evolution between hosts and their parasites is one of the most fascinating – yet still almost unexplored - examples of evolutionary adaptation. There is a paucity of information, however, on how the human immune system co-adapts to the parasites phenotypic plasticity, and how it dynamically rearranges its molecular phenotypes aiming to counteract the pathogenic threats. Hence, many therapies for the treatment of intracellular bacteria-related infections are currently obsolete, especially because of the rise in drug resistance. In this framework, the goal of my proposal was to decipher the unexplored phenotypic ‘bar-codes’ of host-pathogen interaction, to reversely engineer a drug delivery platform targeting infected cells only, and to eradicate intracellular parasites. The final aim will be the eradication of the severe intracellular pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), as is the major cause of mortality related to bacterial infection worldwide.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

I focused first on the artificial recreation of the hallmark of every human tuberculosis infection, which is a necrotic granuloma. I was able to reconstruct not only its phenotypical features but also the macrophages sub-population characterizing it. I then infected these organoids and screened what kind of receptors macrophages express upon infection. This can be considered as a sort of ‘flag’ of infection, which makes it easier to produce drug directed towards infected cells only. I used this information to create nanoparticles able to recognize and target only those macrophages having the ‘flag’ of infection.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

To date, the only way we approach infectious diseases is the use of antibiotics which are administered through all the body. Inevitably, the big problem is that these drugs diffuse passively and several times they can interact with random and not-desired target (off-target), which are the reasons behind the rise in side effect and drug resistance. This project demonstrates we can do a big step ahead in the development of highly precise drugs that target only infected cells and that are much more effective in the delivery process. This means we can treat patients with much less drug for a shorter period of time, and boost thus the eradication of drug resistance phenomenon.

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