Descrizione del progetto
Antibiotici altamente selettivi potrebbero combattere i patogeni umani altamente resistenti
Gli antibiotici (in senso letterale «contro la vita») uccidono i batteri. Poiché i nostri corpi ospitano numerosi batteri «buoni», sono necessari antibiotici selettivi. I ribosomi sono la sede in cui avviene la sintesi proteica e l’obiettivo di nuove terapie in fase di sviluppo da parte di NEXTER. La chiave sta nel prendere di mira determinate porzioni di ribosomi che sono specifiche di determinate specie di batteri. Utilizzando questa strategia, gli scienziati hanno fermato la crescita di un ceppo multi-farmaco resistente di Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), un importante patogeno umano che causa infezioni sia in ambito clinico che comunitario. Queste terapie sintetiche sono inoltre degradabili, nel senso che diminuiranno la contaminazione ambientale, riducendo ulteriormente lo sviluppo di ceppi resistenti. Il team ora sta puntando verso altri patogeni e prevede di portare presto sul mercato la tecnologia pionieristica.
Obiettivo
The rapid emergence and spread of Multi-drug Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), alongside the negligible efforts of the major pharmaceuticals companies in the development of new antibiotics, result in a major global concern of modern medicine. Moreover, the currently clinically used antibiotics contaminate the environment and may harm the human microbiome, causing unpredictable health concerns. We discovered that by targeting species-specific ribosome unique structural motifs, identified by us, using our designed degradable novel synthetic lead compounds, it is possible to inhibit protein biosynthesis in bacteria. Our approach should enable distinction between pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria and between bacterial and human ribosome. This drug selectivity should decrease resistance, preserve the beneficial microbiome and allow usage of lower antibiotics dozes. Furthermore, the designed degradable lead compounds should prevent additional environmental contamination. Hence, our approach allows designing innovative powerful selective antibiotics that escape the existing resistance mechanisms. Several of the primary designed compounds shown to stop the growth of the multi-resistant S. aureus human pathogen were delivered into the bacterial cells by attaching specific chemical moieties to them. In this PoC we plan to design similar compounds for other human pathogens, such as Enterococcus and Pseudomonas species, where revolutionary effective antibiotic drugs against their resistant strains is desperately needed. In addition to the technological PoC in this project, we will attempt pre-commercialization studies aiming at perfecting the commercialization strategy, protecting the IP and strengthen the network for best possible commercialization outcome. The general objective is to establish at least one strategic partnership with a pharma company which has the capacity to further test, develop and commercialize antibiotics that exploit ribosomal novel unique targets.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsantibiotics
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug resistanceantibiotic resistance
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept GrantIstituzione ospitante
7610001 Rehovot
Israele