18 to 24 November: World Antimicrobial Awareness Week
Are new antibiotics or alternatives on the horizon? Where is the research heading?
This year again, from November 18 to 24, attention is being drawn worldwide to the threatening increase in resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns of the greatest global threat to mankind, the G7 Forum of leading economic nations even speaks of a creeping pandemic. The German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) is rising to the challenge: researchers are developing new antimicrobial agents and therapies, monitoring the spread of resistance, designing infection control measures and networking globally to help solve the problem. We have compiled some current topics and experts for you.
Engage in conversation with researchers at DZIF:
Targeting resistant bacteria with phages
Bacteriophages represent a conceivable alternative or supplement to antibiotics. Christine Rohde's team is developing a phage therapy against hospital pathogens that can cause bloodstream infections.
More about the project
Dr. Christine Rohde (DSMZ Braunschweig)
T: +49 531 2616 220
E-Mail
A new active agent against tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is the most common cause of death resulting from bacterial infection worldwide. An enormous challenge in the treatment of tuberculosis is the increased occurrence of resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, against which only a few antibiotics are still effective. With BTZ-043, researchers at DZIF and in the UNITE4TB consortium are developing a new active agent that is already undergoing clinical testing.
More about the project
Prof. Michael Hoelscher (LMU Klinikum München)
T: +49 89 4400 59801
E-Mail
Beating hospital pathogens with new weapons
Scientists at the universities of Tübingen and Munich are working with HyPharm GmbH to develop an active agent to combat the dreaded hospital pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. The antibacterial agent is a highly effective protein derived from bacteriophages that is intended to specifically kill these bacteria, which are frequently found in the nose.
More about the project
Prof. Andreas Peschel (Universität Tübingen)
E-Mail
Target worms on their inside
With corallopyronin A, Prof. Achim Hörauf's team is developing a new drug against worm infections that lead to dreaded diseases like river blindness or elephantiasis—in the latter, parts of the body become greatly enlarged.
More about the project
Dr. Andrea Schiefer (Uni Bonn)
E-Mail
Prof. Achim Hörauf (Uniklinik Bonn)
T: +49 1520-8653761
E-Mail
National and international collaborations for the rapid development of new antibacterial and antiviral therapies
As a founding member of the Incubator for Antibacterial Therapies in Europe (INCATE), the DZIF is working with partners from academia, industry and the public sector to advance the development of new antibacterial therapies.
More on INCATE
Dr. Timo Jäger (DZIF)
E-Mail
Please contact the researchers directly via email or phone. Kindly cc presse@dzif.de in emails. In interviews and texts, including online contents, please mention the DZIF as source.
Contact at DZIF press office:
Karola Neubert
presse@dzif.de
