Monday, April 23, 2007
The University of Western Ontario
Key Found to Kill Cystic Fibrosis Superbug
London, ON –Researchers from the Schulich
School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University
of Western Ontario , working with a group from
Edinburgh, have discovered a way to kill the cystic
fibrosis superbug, Burkholderia cenocepacia.
These investigators, under the leadership of Dr.
Miguel Valvano, Department of Microbiology and
Immunology, have had their research published in
the May issue of the Journal of Bacteriology, and
highlighted in Nature Reviews/Microbiology.
B. cenocepacia is a multi-drug resistant
microorganism that lives in damp or wet places
and causes rot in plants such as onions. While it
rarely causes infection in healthy people, it can be
fatal for people with cystic fibrosis (CF), an
inherited disease where the lungs become
clogged with thick mucus, often leading to chronic
respiratory infections.
The team of researchers has identified a weakness
in the armour that protects the B. cenocepacia
bacterium from the effects of antibiotics. They
hypothesize that preventing the synthesis of a key
sugar required for this armour, 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-
arabinose (Ara4N), may lead to a susceptibility
within the cell membrane to antibiotics.
“We are very excited with these findings, as they
will let us come up with novel molecules to disrupt
the making of Ara4N,” says Valvano. “These
molecules could then be tested as novel
antibiotics.” Valvano is a Professor and Chair of
the Department of Microbiology and Immunology,
a Canada Research Chair in Infectious Diseases
and Microbial Pathogenesis, and leader of the
Infectious Diseases Research Group at the Siebens-
Drake Research Institute. He is available today for
interviews.
The research was funded through the Canadian
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Canadian
Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). “We’re
delighted by this news,” says Cathleen Morrison,
CEO of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation. “The possibility of a life-saving
antibiotic to fight B. cenocepacia is tremendously
encouraging to adults and children who have
cystic fibrosis.”
Dr. Bhagirath Singh, Scientific Director of the
CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity,
says “This discovery provides new hope for the
eradication of these bugs from cystic fibrosis
patients and to improve their quality of life by
developing new treatments.”
Contacts:
Kathy Wallis,
Media Relations Officer, Schulich School of
Medicine & Dentistry
The University of Western Ontario,
519-661-2111 Ext. 81136, Kathy
.wallis@schulich.uwo.ca
Sagal Ali
Media Relations Officer,
Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
1-800-378-2233 ext. 290,
sali@cysticfibro
sis.ca, www.cysticfibrosi
s.ca
David Coulombe
CIHR Media Specialist,
Office: 613-941-4563 , Mobile: 613-808-7526,
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca,
www.cihr-
irsc.gc.ca
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