GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – University of Florida (UF) Health scientists have been awarded an $11.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore how combinations of antibiotics can combat resistant bacteria, a breakthrough that could save tens of thousands of lives lost each year to increasingly stubborn infections.
They say that the grant will support research at the UF College of Medicine and the UF College of Pharmacy, helping scientists better understand how bacteria and antibiotics interact on a molecular level.
This research is critical as bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics, leaving few new drug options available, according to UF Health. They say that pharmaceutical companies are developing fewer antibiotics, so researchers are focusing on novel methods to boost the effectiveness of existing ones, especially when used in combination.
UF Health scientists are among the recipients of the grant, following a “call to arms” from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to address the crisis. Dr. Jürgen Bulitta, a co-principal investigator, said that tackling serious infections with resistant bacteria requires multiple antibiotics working together. “Monotherapy cannot work,” he said. “You must tag-team with more than one drug to have any chance against serious infections.”
They say that the researchers aim to fine-tune the use of antibiotics by uncovering bacterial vulnerabilities. This involves identifying which bacterial receptors antibiotics should target and determining the optimal dosages needed to eradicate infections without leaving resistant bacteria behind.
The project focuses on two of the deadliest drug-resistant bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, notes UF Health. These “superbugs” often infect hospital patients with weakened immune systems and have developed formidable resistance to antibiotics. According to Dr. George L. Drusano, co-principal investigator, “These bacteria have become really nasty and too often kill the patients they infect.”
Using advanced computer modeling and innovative lab techniques like the hollow fiber infection model, the researchers say that they aim to simulate how bacteria behave in the human body. This method will help test the effectiveness of various drug combinations and measure bacterial resistance in real-time.
The UF Health team is leading this multi-center investigation with support from several other research institutions, including Case Western Reserve University and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.