WARF TECHNOLOGIES

Staphylococcus epidermidis is an important Gram-negative bacterial pathogen in hospital-acquired infections, and the most common cause of infections on indwelling medical devices. The costs related to vascular catheter-related bloodstream infections caused by S. epidermidis are estimated at $2 billion annually in the U.S. alone. Treatment of S. epidermidis infection is complicated by multidrug resistance and persistent biofilm formation.

Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) plays a key role in infection, and targeting this system with pharmacotherapies could significantly attenuate virulence.

UW–Madison researchers have synthesized a set of potent peptidic modulators of Staphylococcus epidermidis quorum sensing. Targeting the AgrC receptor, these compounds include the first universal QS inhibitors active against all known groups of S. epidermidis. Others are strongly group- or species-selective and could be applied to selectively modulate either S. epidermidis or S. aureus quorum sensing.

• Modulating virulence and inhibiting biofilm growth
• Research tool

• First and most potent synthetic QS inhibitors of their kind
• S. epidermidis infections resist traditional antimicrobial treatment and pose a serious public health burden.

Several inhibitors have been tested and shown to strongly antagonize or agonize the AgrC-I receptor. Notably, one compound was found to strongly inhibit S. epidermidis biofilm growth, with a higher potency and efficacy than the native autoinducing peptide.

For More Information About the Inventors

• Helen Blackwell

Related Technologies

• Find more anti-quorum sensing agents developed by Prof. Helen Blackwell.

Tech Fields

• Therapeutics & Vaccines : Anti-infectives (antibacterials, antifungals, antivirals)