Study of pathogenicity and virulence in strains of uropathogenic Escherichia coli ST131 producing KPC-2 in vitro and in vivo in an alternative model of Galleria melonella

• Grant number: 22/08649-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): September 17, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Rogério Pavan
• Grantee: Drielle Thainara Perez Paschoa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Worldwide, thousands of people are affected annually by urinary tract infections (UTIs), approximately 150 million people, with Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) being responsible for more than 80% of these infections, which results in high costs. with hospitalizations and medical expenses. UPECs are extremely important in global public health, as in addition to being one of the pathogens most involved in human infections, they are involved in the significant increase in bacterial resistance to various antimicrobials. Considerably, in recent decades, there has been an increase in the use of carbapenem antibiotics to treat serious infections, which has intensified over time due to the increase in detections of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. According to clinical evidence, ST131 clones are characterized as the most virulent group among UPECs. These pathogens are part of the critical group on the list of priority pathogens that need research and development of new antimicrobial molecules, that is, of highest priority. Thus, the objective of this work is to characterize the pathogenicity and virulence mechanisms in UPEC ST131 strains producing KPC-2 in vitro and in vivo in an alternative model of Galleria melonella through phenotypic assays. Considering the expected results, the work opens new perspectives for studies of these pathogens and their pathogenicity mechanisms, in addition to elucidating important phenotypic characteristics to be considered in the fight against bacterial resistance and possible new targets for the rational development of antimicrobials.