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Compounds for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Staphylococcal Skin and Soft Tissue Infections, Wound Infections and Pneumonia

Technology Benefits

Treatmentand prevention of Staphylococcal infections, wound infections and pneumoniaPotential for development of new treatments for Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections

Detailed Technology Description

Identification of compounds that inhibit Staphylococcus aureus quorum sensing in an animalmodel.

*Abstract

Thesecompounds can be a prophylaxis and treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections, wound infections and pneumonia,through limiting progression and clinical signs of infection.

*Background

In recent years, antimicrobialresistance has become a global health threat. Furthermore, infections fromdrug-resistant strains of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus havereached pandemic proportions. Staphylococcus aureus is the cause of mostskin and soft tissue infections and it is becoming more resilient toantibiotics. Currently, the National Institutes of Allergy and InfectionDiseases propose anti-virulence strategies to disarm bacteria to reducepathogenesis, along with approaches to harness the host immune system to betterfight infections. By disarming the bacterial pathogen, it has been proposedthat infections could be managed without creating environmental pressure to developresistance.  However, there is presently a lack of small-molecule drugleads for such treatments.   There is a crucial need for smallmolecules that inhibit bacterial virulence in order to limit pathogenesis. Avast majority of pathogenic bacteria use a communication system called quorumsensing to coordinate gene expression. In Staphylococcus aureus, quorumsensing is regulated by the accessory regulator gene (agr) operon, which controls virulence factor production leading toinvasive infection. Therefore, pathogenesis in the host system can be limitedby targeting the agr system, thus disrupting quorum sensing and virulencefactor expression.

*Inquiry

STC has filed intellectual property on this exciting new technology and is currently exploring commercialization options. If you are interested in information about this or other technologies, please contact Arlene Mirabal at amirabal@stc.unm.edu or 505-272-7886.

Country/Region

USA