Chlamydiacides: New Antibacterial Compounds

Project leaders(s):
Fredrik Almqvist

Affiliation:
Dept. of Chemistry, Umeå University

Status:
Active Incubator Project

Brief Description:
A new class of compounds were observed to have a new target profile.The new compounds showed novel activity against Chlamydia and indicated a possible novel target "mode of action".

These compounds represent a new class of antibiotics that may have broad-spectrum activity against Clamydia and other pathogens.  A notable observation found that the initial set of compounds was non-toxic to human cell lines.

Unlike current antibiotics used to treat Chlamydia, the new compounds disclosed here appear to be effectively targeting Chlamydia at two separate points of their lifecycle.  This is relevant in light of the few reports on the C. pneumonia that   standard single antibiotic courses (two weeks) only kill at  one of its three life phases, leaving live forms of bacteria which are in other stages to renew infection.

Furthermore, there are accumulating reports that antibiotic resistance is on the rise in Chlamydia cases. The exact frequency of antibiotic resistance in Chlamydia is unknown. However, antibiotic resistant clinical isolates have been isolated from patients with treatment failure and recent studies have shown up to a 13.7 % treatment failure. Improved antibiotic treatment is suggested and antibiotic resistance might soon be public health concerns.