Project Description
Read a detailed description of our project and inspiration
Thermoguard
A novel treatment for skinandsoft tissue infections(SSTIs).Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are becoming more prominent in treatingbacterial infections.
AMPs: Genetic Warriors Against SSTI Invaders.
But why do we need to consider this new option?
There are concerning reports of rising resistance to traditional antibiotics. This current resistance situation raises concerns about a post-antibiotic era in which antimicrobial treatment is no longer an option.
ESKAPE Pathogens
The World Health Organization classifies the appearance of antibiotic resistance as one of the biggest threats to human health.
The so called ESKAPE pathogens are the leading cause of bacterial infections such as the skin and soft tissue infection (SSTIs) which is ranked among the most common bacterial infections in human.
Staphylococcus aureus, especially the MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus) accounts for over 50% of all SSTIs, and the current resistant situation constitutes a major issue in the treatment of such infection
Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
SSTIs consists of some of the most common microbial infections of the skin and underlying tissue. It results in hundreds of thousands of medical offices as well as emergency room visits and hospitalization each year. These infections occur when the integrity of the skin is compromised either from trauma or contamination.
SSTIs ranges from minor infections, that can be easily treated such as impetigo, folliculitis, Cellulitis, to more severe ones, like necrotizing fasciitis, which can become life-threatening if not treated appropriately.
Current Treatment
Topical antibiotics are usually the option of treatment in patients with mild to moderate SSTIs, whereas surgical intervention, oral, or intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics are required in severe cases.
Side Effects of Current Treatment
Increasing resistance to conventional antibiotics and the side effects imposed by this treatment has prompted the development of new treatment options for SSTIs.
Failure to address the problem of antibiotic resistance could result in...
Deaths by 2050.
Costing...
trillion
How our treatment works
Antimicrobial peptides display major advantages compared to conventional antibiotics. Besides their broad-spectrum activity, they show a different mode of action which does not involve specific protein binding sites but rather, involves multiple bacteria cellular targets. This mechanism makes resistance development rather unlikely.
Food and Pharmaceuticals
Can produce intermediates of pharmaceuticals produnction, food additives, and synthetic sweetness.
Agriculture
Can degrade fungicides from agricultural fields and can enhance the transformation of food wastes into biofertilizers
Environment
Can degrade inert polyethylene.
Our strategy's uniqueness
At present, antimicrobial peptides from Brevibacillus borstelensis AK1 have never been characterized experimentally. Its AMP has never been utilized to inhibit infectious pathogens like S. aureus. To produce our target AMP, We first screened Brevibacillus borstelensis AK1 for its ability to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus (the major causative agent for SSTIs). The results we obtained from screening proved that Brevibacillus borstelensis AK1 produces AMP
