RespiriNTM

Mycobacterium avium (Mav) and Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) cause millions of infections worldwide each year. Unlike the well know related species M. tuberculosis, there are currently no effective antibiotics against these pathogens and mortality rates can be as high as 30%. Therefore, there is an urgent need for antibiotics that can treat the debilitating diseases that are caused by the Non-Tubercule Mycobacteria (NTM) M. avium and M. abscessus. The RespiriNTM projects aims to develop novel antibiotics that target the NTM respiratory pathway, the energy centre of the bacteria. Treatment will be combined with the recently developed antibiotic bedaquiline that also targets the respiratory pathway, thus creating a double blow to the bacterium. RespiriNTM will also cast a wider net in its search for novel antibiotics, by targeting human factors that are needed for NTM to survive in the infected host. Through this work we aim to develop desperately need antibiotics that work against M. avium and M. abscessus that form an increasing threat to global health.