This project aims to develop a novel peptide-based antimicrobial drug that can be used to treat respiratory (persistant) infections in CF-patients more effectively as compared to currently applied conventional antibiotics. Based upon our knowledge about antimicrobial peptides that exhibit distinct killing activity against a wide range of bacterial pathogens, we study which peptide appears most promising based upon its antibacterial properties assessed against CF-relevant pathogens using CF-patient-derived samples. Ultimately, this novel anti-infective will be developed (a) as therapeutic drug to treat pulmonary infections at later stages of CF in older children and adults and (b) as prophylactic drug in younger children. Both strategies will help to reduce the emergence of chronic bacterial infections and pulmonary inflammation at later stages of CF-disease and cut down antibiotic use. The combined use of this peptide-based antimicrobial drug and novel drugs that aim to restore CFTR function, will provide an innovative approach to prevent and treat infectious disease and respiratory tissue damage in CF-patients.
Main research project collaborators:
Cystic Fibrosis Center Utrecht, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Microbiology & Institute of Biomembranes, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands; TNO, Microbiology and Systems Biology, Zeist, The Netherlands.
Funded by ZonMw and NCFS