Gallium disrupts bacterial iron metabolism and has therapeutic effects in mice and humans with lung infections

• Published in: Science translational medicine Vol. 10; no. 460
• Main Authors: Goss, Christopher H, Kaneko, Yukihiro, Khuu, Lisa, Anderson, Gail D, Ravishankar, Sumedha, Aitken, Moira L, Lechtzin, Noah, Zhou, Guolin, Czyz, Daniel M, McLean, Kathryn, Olakanmi, Oyebode, Shuman, Howard A, Teresi, Mary, Wilhelm, Ellen, Caldwell, Ellen, Salipante, Stephen J, Hornick, Douglas B, Siehnel, Richard J, Becker, Lev, Britigan, Bradley E, Singh, Pradeep K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 26.09.2018
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Cystic Fibrosis - microbiology; Cystic Fibrosis - physiopathology; DNA Transposable Elements - genetics; Drug Resistance, Bacterial - drug effects; Drug Synergism; Gallium - pharmacokinetics; Gallium - pharmacology; Gallium - therapeutic use; Genes, Bacterial; Humans; Iron - metabolism; Lung - drug effects; Lung - microbiology; Lung - physiopathology; Macrophages - drug effects; Macrophages - microbiology; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microbial Viability - drug effects; Middle Aged; Mutagenesis; Mutation - genetics; Oxidants - toxicity; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - drug effects; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - genetics; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - growth & development; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - metabolism; Pseudomonas Infections - microbiology; Pseudomonas Infections - physiopathology; Respiratory Tract Infections - microbiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - physiopathology; Sputum - microbiology; Young Adult

The lack of new antibiotics is among the most critical challenges facing medicine. The problem is particularly acute for Gram-negative bacteria. An unconventional antibiotic strategy is to target bacterial nutrition and metabolism. The metal gallium can disrupt bacterial iron metabolism because it s...