Making stable peptide medicines against drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria
Chemical methods to prepare bioactive cyclic and lassoed peptide therapeutics
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · NIH-11325351
Creating new chemical ways to build stable cyclic and lasso-shaped peptide drugs that could treat people with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11325351 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will develop residue-selective chemical methods to stitch peptides into cyclic and bicyclic shapes and to recreate lasso-style peptide folds inspired by natural microcin J25. The team will combine lab chemistry with computer-based molecular dynamics to design, make, and test peptides that hold their shape and resist breakdown. A main goal is to produce constrained antimicrobial peptides that show activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Over the project period they will iterate design and synthesis to identify peptide scaffolds that could become antibiotic leads.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with or at high risk of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, or those whose infections do not respond to standard antibiotics, would be the eventual candidates for therapies developed from this work.
Not a fit: Patients with non-bacterial illnesses (for example viral infections) or those whose bacterial infections are already treatable with current antibiotics are unlikely to benefit directly from this research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new peptide-based antibiotics to treat infections that no longer respond to existing drugs.
How similar studies have performed: Some natural cyclic and lasso peptides are known to kill bacteria, but the specific chemical methods proposed here to make and stabilize synthetic lasso and Tyr-linked cyclic peptides are novel and remain in early-stage testing.
Where this research is happening
SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES
- UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH — SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ROBERTS, ANDREW GEORGE — UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- Study coordinator: ROBERTS, ANDREW GEORGE
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.