Funding outcome

Bacterial infections in newborn babies can be life-threatening due to overwhelming inflammation and organ damage, as they have a poorly developed immune system (the body's response to infection). Current treatments are failing as bacteria develop resistance even to most recently introduced antibiotics, which themselves can cause kidney damage in 8-19% of babies who receive them. Our laboratory recently invented small unnatural peptide derivatives of a human innate antimicrobial protein with unprecedented ability to kill superbugs (bacteria that are resistant to almost every antibiotic), neutralize bacterial toxins that cause deadly inflammation, and exceptional stability in the body without harming human cells. This invention shows significant promise for transforming the treatment of infections in the newborn. This project will test these peptides in zebrafish, an ideal early-stage model for human newborns. Zebrafish larvae are transparent, allowing us to directly observe infection and treatment effects. We will perform detailed evaluation of the safety of our peptides, their ability to eliminate infection, reduce inflammation and improve survival compared to current antibiotic treatment in larval zebrafish models. If successful, our research will establish and prioritize these peptides as promising candidates for further development, potentially leading to more effective and safer treatment for newborn sepsis. Our approach has potential to dramatically improve outcomes for the most vulnerable patients while addressing the urgent global crisis of antibiotic resistance.