New Antibiotics and Antibiotic Potentiators for Treating Staphylococcus Aureus Infections

SUMMARY

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections that affect nearly 30% of healthy adults. Staph infections can escalate in intensity if introduced to the bloodstream and can lead to sepsis or death. 
• The current treatment of MRSA is partially effective through oxacillin therapy. To strengthen the effectiveness of oxacillin therapy the faculty inventor has identified inhibitors that specifically interfere with the cell wall stress response that controls the induction to the system.   
• Through in vivo models of skin and lung testing, inhibitor interference decreased resistance to oxacillin and potentiated cell wall active antibodies. Further in vivo models highlighted that the deletion of the vraRS operon generally improved the outcome of oxacillin therapy. 
• New antibiotics for the treatment of MRSA are in development but approaches to overcome resistance to oxacillin treatment are lacking. The inhibitors identified by the faculty inventor address a significant and growing need in the healthcare community.  

ADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES

• Small molecules appropriate for combination therapy 

• Improves the outcome of oxacillin therapy 

• Inhibitor interference potentiates cell wall active antibodies 

APPLICATIONS

• Combination therapy of MRSA 

• Lead compounds for novel MRSA therapeutics 

• Tools for drug discovery of additional agents that target vra promoter