Drs. Bulman and Polikanov Awarded R21 Grant
Article
Drs. Zackery Bulman (Pharmacy Practice) and Yury Polikanov (Biological Sciences) are leading an effort to evaluate novel aminoglycoside combinations against resistant bacteria. Aminoglycosides are a critically important class of antibiotics, but their use is currently limited by the emergence of resistance and clinical treatment failures. Novel treatment strategies for the aminoglycosides are necessary to reinvigorate them for the fight against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Antibiotic resistance is among the most pressing global health issues, and threatens many lives around the world each year. Using our recent discovery that pairs of aminoglycosides can synergistically kill multidrug-resistant bacteria as foundational knowledge, the current project will explore these combinations and identify the structural basis for their activity. Dr. Alexander Mankin (Pharmaceutical Sciences), who is also a key collaborator on the grant, will help perform experiments designed to elucidate mechanisms of synergy. The hope is that insights gained through this project will enhance current aminoglycoside treatment strategies and lay groundwork for future antibiotic drug discovery.