A professor at the University of Rhode Island is hoping to find a pharmaceutical
partner to explore the potential of a compound that could enhance the strength
of antibiotics from 100 times to 1,000 times.
“Really, we just stumbled on it,” said Dr. Paul Cohen, a microbiology professor at the university.
Cohen and other researchers were studying bacterial growth in lung mucus when he noticed that a compound found in the bloodstream, lysophosphatidic acid, which is produced by the body whenever there is an inflammation. When antibiotics were added to the acid, not only did bacteria fail to grow on the substance, but the bacteria actually died.
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At a time when medical professionals say common antibiotics are losing their effectiveness due to over-prescription and bacteria subsequently developing a resistance to the drugs, Cohen’s discovery could have interesting applications. He cautions that the compound is far from a miracle cure-all, and suggests that its uses would likely lie in addressing topical, rather than systemic, diseases.
In talking about potential uses for the compound, Cohen mentions topical applications for treatment of acne or wound healing.
“We deal in the basic science here,” Cohen said. “We want to better understand the science behind things with the hope that something can come out of that knowledge with the possibility for wider application.”
A Narragansett resident, Cohen has been at URI for the last 38 years, and said his main research involves studying both harmful and helpful E. coli protein strains in the intestines of mice.
It was several years ago that Cohen, along with URI professor David Laux, former URI technician Maryjane Utley and Danish researcher Karen Krogfelt of Copenhagen’s Statenserum Institute, had been studying lung mucus as part of research on infection prevention. Severe mucus buildup is a genetic problem faced by people with cystic fibrosis, an inherited condition that causes changes in the chemical properties of mucus, and can lead to respiratory difficulties.
Cohen said bacteria can be divided into Gram-positive and Gram-negative groups based on the structure and shape of their cell walls. When the acid is given in small amounts to Gram-negative bacteria, the bacteria is sensitized and only small quantities are needed to kill the bacteria. When given to Gram-positive bacteria, the acid compound kills the bacteria on its own.
The university was issued a patent for the compound in 2002 and Cohen said his research has reached a point where the logical next step is testing in animals. Cohen said talks have been ongoing with pharmaceutical companies, who have the money it takes to move his experiment into a practical application.
“Here, everything we are doing is all contained in test tubes,” Cohen said. “We could find out the mechanism behind how things work, but until we know if those enhanced effects carry over into animals, there’s only so much we can figure out.”
Because the compound is naturally found in the bloodstream, Cohen said patients
should not be allergic to it. He said used in combination with the compound,
he believes older antibiotics could become useful again and also allow them
to be used in lower dosages.
