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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

MRSA Infections: From Classical Treatment to Suicide Drugs

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Author(s):
Drebes, Julia [1] ; Kuenz, Madeleine [1] ; Pereira, Claudio A. [2, 3] ; Betzel, Christian [1] ; Wrenger, Carsten [4]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Hamburg, DESY, Inst Biochem & Mol Biol, Lab Struct Biol Infect & Inflammat, Hamburg - Germany
[2] Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, RA-1033 Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina
[3] Univ Buenos Aires, Inst Invest Med Alfredo Lanari, Lab Biol Mol Trypanosoma Cruzi, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina
[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Parasitol, Unit Drug Discovery, Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 4
Document type: Journal article
Source: Current Medicinal Chemistry; v. 21, n. 15, p. 1809-1819, MAY 2014.
Web of Science Citations: 12
Abstract

Infections caused by the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are today a major burden in nosocomial disease control. The global trend shows an alarming increase of MRSA infections as well as multi-drug resistance (MDR). The problem is exacerbated by the fact that infections with community-associated (CA) MRSA strains showing increased virulence and fitness add to infections with multi-drug resistant hospital-associated (HA) MRSA. The toxicity of pathogens and limited effectiveness of available treatment have led to high mortality rates and vast expenses caused by prolonged hospitalization and usage of additional antibiotics. Recently approved drugs still have classical targets and upcoming resistance can be expected. In a new approach by targeting co-factor syntheses of bacteria, the drug target and the affected pathways are uncoupled. This novel strategy is based on the thought of a classical pro-drug which has to be metabolized before becoming toxic for the bacterium as a dysfunctional co-factor, named suicide drug. Ideally these metabolizing pathways are solely present in the bacterium and absent in the human host, such as vitamin biosyntheses. This mini-review discusses current ways of MRSA infection treatment using new approaches including suicide drugs targeting co-factor biosyntheses. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/10288-1 - Analysis of the organelle biogenesis in Plasmodium falciparum by live cell imaging
Grantee:Carsten Wrenger
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
FAPESP's process: 09/54325-2 - Elucidation of vitamin B metabolism in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and their validation as a target for chemotherapy
Grantee:Carsten Wrenger
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants