Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania tested CSA-13 in treating multidrug resistant pseudomonas aeuroginosa infections, which are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis.
In the reported research, the drug was found to be significantly more effective than positively charged antibacterial peptides (LL-37) against a multidrug resistant strain of pseudomonas aeuroginosa; far less susceptible to inactivation by negatively charged components found in the sputa of cystic fibrosis patients (DNA and F-actin); and was potent even in cystic fibrosis sputum, thereby suggesting potential for therapeutic use.
“This new compound has the potential to be a significant advance in the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis and other lung infections,” says senior report author Robert Bucki.
“The conventional therapy used to treat pseudomonas infections in cystic fibrosis patients is Tobramycin but there are an increasing number of Tobramycin resistant strains of pseudomonas. There is an urgent need for the development of new antibiotics to treat these and other gram-negative bacterial infections,” said Steven Porter, chairman and CEO of Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals. “Our goal is to find a partner to help us advance development of this application.”