Transatlantic drive to tackle antimicrobial resistance
18 Jul 2017 by Evoluted New Media
A collaboration to identify antimicrobial drug targets in a novel way has been announced by research organisations in the UK and Canada.
A new collaboration to identify antimicrobial drug targets has been announced by research organisations in the UK and Canada.
The majority of antibacterial drug discovery programs have focused on specific aspects of resistance, or a single pathogen species. Instead, this collaboration will focus on shared commonality across pathogens to identify which genes express proteins that lead to multi-drug resistant bacteria.
Dr Edie Dullaghan, head of target validation at the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) said: “To help mitigate this challenge of antibiotic resistance, we have assembled a multi-disciplinary team of microbiologists, medicinal chemists and bioinformatitions, and will be combining their expertise with that of our partners LifeArc and Dstl. By bringing our distinct perspectives and collective resources to bear, we are uniquely positioned to create an effective path forward for the discovery and development of novel antibacterial drugs.”
Last year the government-commissioned Review on Antimicrobial Resistance was published. In the review, Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Chief Medical Officer, said: “We have reached a critical point and must act now on a global scale to slow down antimicrobial resistance.” The report predicts that by 2050, resistance to currently available antibiotics will prevent common medical procedures and operations from taking place.
LifeArc (formerly known as the MRC Technology) is aiming to create Communities for Impact (CfI), working alongside organisations such as the CDRC and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to tackle key issues in human health. Justin Bryans, Executive Director at Life Arc, said: “The discovery of new antibacterial drugs is becoming increasingly urgent and we are excited by the potential for this collaboration, as each party brings a piece of the jigsaw to enable the CfI as a whole to make a real impact in this field.”
LifeArc has dedicated laboratories in Stevenage and Edinburgh where scientists work on either antibody and small molecule projects, or diagnostic development. So far, LifeArc has helped to develop four drugs and a test for antimicrobial resistance.
