Scientists receive €85 million international drive to develop new and effective drugs

An increasing biological resistance to antibiotics treatment is to be countered by Aston University scientists who will lead a €85 million international drive to develop new and effective drugs. 

The world faces a growing epidemic of antibiotic resistance, yet only two new classes of antibiotics have been brought to the market in the last 30 years. Aston is one of over 30 universities, research institutes, and companies, including GlaxoSmithKline and Uppsala University, who are joining forces in a 6 year programme supported by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) to develop novel antibiotics against Gram-negative pathogens in a project called ENABLE (European Gram-Negative Antibacterial Engine). 

At Aston, a research team led by Professor Roslyn Bill and Dr Alice Rothnie will look into how the behaviour of membrane proteins, which help structure human cells, is affected by the introduction of new antibiotics developed by the ENABLE project. Membrane proteins are involved in many key processes in the cell, such as the uptake of nutrients, waste disposal and controlling how the cells interact with each other and their environment. 

Professor Bill, Director of the Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing, said: "At Aston University, our expertise in understanding membrane proteins makes us the perfect fit to contribute to the ENABLE project. The study of the proteins is growing in importance - indeed, eight of the top ten selling drugs are directed at membrane proteins, including asthma and anti-psychotic treatments - so this represents a fantastic opportunity to innovate intelligent drug design in future." 

The discovery and development of new antibiotics is essential to maintain medical advances but poses significant scientific, clinical, and financial challenges, particularly for antibiotics active against Gram-negative bacteria (such as E. coli). Such bacteria have effective barriers against drugs, making treatment difficult, resistance likely and development costs and risks high.

 Any new antibiotics brought to the market, however, would likely be used cautiously to delay the development of resistance, adding an additional financial challenge in recouping the development costs. 

The Aston Cellular and Molecular Biomedicine group have previously been involved in a Europe-wide investigation for the purposes of new drug design. As part of a four-year study, Aston scientists analysed the structure of membrane proteins, which, it was discovered, are involved in conditions such as cancer, diabetes hypertension, obesity and multi-drug resistance. 

Source: Aston University