Identification and development of smallmolecule inhibitors targeting Salmonella type IIIsecretion systems

01.01.2023 bis 28.02.2026

The worldwide rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains represents a serious
threat for the treatment of infections, in particular for treatment of GI pathogens,
as antibiotics affect the GI tract three-fold: emergence of resistance of GI
pathogens, disruption of colonization resistance of the intestinal microbiota, and
emergence of antibiotic-resistant members of the intestinal microbiota which may
cause fatal endogenous infections.
A fundamental and ambitious solution and countermeasure to these threats is the
development of novel pathogen-specific antiinfectives (pathoblockers), which
would not cause selection of resistance and which may not act against the
intestinal microbiota.
This project aims at the identification and development of inhibitors of bacterial
type III secretion systems for prevention and treatment of Salmonella infections,
and likely other pathogens with related type III secretion systems. The perspective
is to feed this research and development into a professional hit-to-lead process,
all in close collaboration with the TTU NAB and the TI Product Development