Publications by authors named "B E Britigan"

Coinfection of (Mtb) and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) is a significant public health concern. Treatment is challenging due to prolonged duration of therapy and drug interactions between antiretroviral therapy (ART) and anti-TB drugs. Noniron gallium -tetraphenyl porphyrin (GaTP), a heme mimetic, has shown broad antimicrobial activity.

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Metals play vital roles in biological systems, with iron/heme being essential for cellular and metabolic functions necessary for survival and/or virulence in many bacterial pathogens. Given the rise of bacterial resistance to current antibiotics, there is an urgent need for the development of non-toxic and novel antibiotics that do not contribute to resistance to other antibiotics. Gallium, which mimics iron, has emerged as a promising antimicrobial agent, offering a novel approach to combat bacterial infections.

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There is a major need for the development of new therapeutics to combat antibiotic-resistant . Recently, gallium (Ga)-based complexes have shown promising antimicrobial effects against various bacteria, including multidrug-resistant organisms, by targeting multiple heme/iron-dependent metabolic pathways. Among these, Ga protoporphyrin (GaPP) inhibits bacterial growth by targeting heme pathways, including aerobic respiration.

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The treatment of infections is becoming more difficult due to emerging resistance of pathogens to existing drugs. As such, alternative druggable targets, particularly those that are essential for microbe viability and thus make it harder to develop resistance, are desperately needed. In turn, once identified, safe and effective agents that disrupt these targets must be developed.

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is a highly antibiotic-resistant opportunistic pathogenic bacteria that is responsible for thousands of deaths each year. Infections with disproportionately impact individuals with compromised immune systems as well as cystic fibrosis patients, where lung infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In previous work, we showed that a combination of gallium (Ga) nitrate and Ga protoporphyrin worked well in several bacterial infection models but its mechanism of action (MOA) is unknown.

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