Effects of Gallium-Desferrioxamine Compounds on Bacteria

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Date
2015
Authors
Ahmed, Mohammad
Brode, Emily
Brown, Thomas
Eltoweissy, Somayah
Gross, Stephanie
Markowitz, Seth
McCutchen, Michael
Portney, Reed
Reinhart, Jacob
Salgado, Cristian
Advisor
Woodard, Ben
Citation
Abstract
Over 70% of nosocomial infections in the United States are resistant to one or more traditional antibiotics, necessitating research for alternative treatment options. This study aims to chelate gallium (Ga) onto a bacterial siderophore, desferrioxamine (DFO), to retard bacterial growth. By exploiting natural bacterial pathways, metal-siderophore treatments are hypothesized to circumvent traditional resistance mechanisms. Additionally, the GaDFO complex will be tested against several bacterial species to determine the specificity of DFO uptake. This research aims to prove the feasibility of siderophore piracy as an alternative to antibiotics. In showing the feasibility of siderophore piracy mechanisms, this research will enable the development of future avenues for protecting against resistant nosocomial infections.
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