Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
group
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Wesley Flewelling, Freshman Anderson Jeon, Freshman Giovanni Benjamin, Freshman
Lead Presenter's Name
Wesley Flewelling
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor Name
Alba A. Chavez
Abstract
Aerospace physiology
Leveraging Drug Repurposing: A Strategic Approach to Combat Bacterial Infections.
Author Information: Wesley A. Flewelling, Anderson Y. Jeon and Giovanni Benjamin
Faculty mentor: Dr. Alba Chavez
The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains poses a critical threat to global public health, necessitating innovative strategies to address this challenge. Drug repurposing, the process of identifying new therapeutic uses for existing drugs, has emerged as a promising approach to Accelerate the development of effective treatments for bacterial infections. This research aims to highlight the importance of drug repurposing in the context of bacterial infections in an effort to emphasize the various advantages it offers over traditional drug discovery methods. We have selected 6 drugs that are not infrequently used to treat infections (including gentamycin sulfate, simvastatin, caspofungin, finasteride, ketorolac and clarithromycin) and tested their efficacy as antibacterial agents using four bacterial strains (Escherichia, Serratia, Micrococcus and Bacillus) as target model systems. We performed a comprehensive high throughput screening using a 96 well microplate approach and determined the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of bacterial growth. Our results indicate that Finasteride and Ketorolac are effective against the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia and Serratia, whereas Caspofungin and Clarithromycin are the most effective against the gram-positive Micrococcus and Bacillus. These results shed light into future perspectives of antimicrobial agents and possible treatments for fastidious infections. Embracing drug repurposing as a complementary strategy to traditional drug discovery efforts holds tremendous potential in the fight against bacterial infections.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Leveraging Drug Repurposing: A Strategic Approach to Combat Bacterial Infections.
Aerospace physiology
Leveraging Drug Repurposing: A Strategic Approach to Combat Bacterial Infections.
Author Information: Wesley A. Flewelling, Anderson Y. Jeon and Giovanni Benjamin
Faculty mentor: Dr. Alba Chavez
The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains poses a critical threat to global public health, necessitating innovative strategies to address this challenge. Drug repurposing, the process of identifying new therapeutic uses for existing drugs, has emerged as a promising approach to Accelerate the development of effective treatments for bacterial infections. This research aims to highlight the importance of drug repurposing in the context of bacterial infections in an effort to emphasize the various advantages it offers over traditional drug discovery methods. We have selected 6 drugs that are not infrequently used to treat infections (including gentamycin sulfate, simvastatin, caspofungin, finasteride, ketorolac and clarithromycin) and tested their efficacy as antibacterial agents using four bacterial strains (Escherichia, Serratia, Micrococcus and Bacillus) as target model systems. We performed a comprehensive high throughput screening using a 96 well microplate approach and determined the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of bacterial growth. Our results indicate that Finasteride and Ketorolac are effective against the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia and Serratia, whereas Caspofungin and Clarithromycin are the most effective against the gram-positive Micrococcus and Bacillus. These results shed light into future perspectives of antimicrobial agents and possible treatments for fastidious infections. Embracing drug repurposing as a complementary strategy to traditional drug discovery efforts holds tremendous potential in the fight against bacterial infections.