Pathoblocker | German Center for Infection Research

Short description

Pathoblockers weaken bacteria and inhibit their pathogenic effects. They might be used in the future as an alternative to antibiotics or as a supplement to support the efficacy of antibiotics that by themselves have become ineffective.

Detailed description

More and more antibiotics become ineffective as bacteria develop resistances against them. Pathoblockers should present an alternative: Unlike antibiotics, they do not kill bacteria but block their pathogenicity; that is they prevent bacteria from harming their host. As they inhibit very specific processes, the pathoblockers developed so far are usually only effective against one particular bacterial species.

Electron micrograph of a cluster of yellow-stained round bacteria

New agent inhibits Staphylococcus aureus toxin: hope for pneumonia patients

An international research group led by scientists of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) has discovered a promising new drug candidate

University of Tübingen

PAFAP—Pseudomonas aeruginosa-focused anti-infectives pipeline

In the current WHO list of bacterial priority pathogens (WHO BPPL 2024), the World Health Organisation classifies carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria as a high-priority pathogen, which means there is an urgent need for new anti-infectives to combat this problematic bacterium. To ...

Scientists sound the alarm over lack of antibiotics

According to the WHO, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the ten greatest threats to global health. In the EU alone, around 35,000 people die every year from antibiotic-resistant infections. The

Cryo-electron microscopic reconstruction of molecular structures: On the left, the vertical representation of the binding of a yellow-coloured antibody to the blue-coloured tip of the secretion system shown in grey. On the right, a top view of the binding structure, showing how the yellow antibody binds laterally to the blue tip of the secretion system, which is round in top view.

Neutralising antibodies that target resistant bacteria

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a major challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. Due to numerous resistance mechanisms, infections with the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa are particularly feared

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Motility inhibitors as novel therapeutic approach against common intestinal pathogens

Helicobacter pylori, Campylobacter jejuni, and Campylobacter coli are among the most widespread bacterial pathogens and responsible for annually hundreds of thousands of cases of diarrhoea, intestinal inflammation, gastric ulcers and stomach cancer worldwide. The research group led by Christine ...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa: feared as a hospital germ

On the way to developing a new active ingredient against chronic infections

Chronic lung infections caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa require complex and, in most cases, long-term treatment with antibiotics. It is generally not possible to completely heal the