AMIS - Antimicrobials by Immune Stimulation (Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health) (2005-01-01 - 2007-12-31)(»add to infobox)
ACRONYM:
AMIS
BUDGET:
2.444.000 €
FUNDING:
2.100.000 €
INSTRUMENT:
Specific Targeted Research Project
PROGRAMME:
Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health
The tremendous success with which antibiotics have been used to combat infectious diseases is under serious threat from the increasing development of antimicrobial resistance. Without new treatment approaches to address antimicrobial resistance, this threat will continue to rise. To fight infectious diseases effectively in the future we have to broaden the approaches in therapeutic intervention. There are three ways along which the therapeutic intervention of infectious diseases can be broadened. The first is to design drugs that have a smaller chance for resistance-development (to target evolutionary conserved structures is one key element here). The second is to design drugs that are as different in mechanism of action as we can envision. The third is to combine drugs. AMIS (Antimicrobials by Immune Stimulation) combines these three strategies in a highly innovative approach. AMIS aims to use the strength of our own innate immune system to design antimicrobial drugs for future generations. Antimicrobial proteins in our immune system are often combined with inflammatory signals in one single molecule. AMIS will take that same approach and reshuffle different parts of different molecules to make novel effector molecules that still have these combined functions but are optimally adapted for therapeutic intervention. Within our innate immune system many molecules have been identified over the last years that are involved in direct or indirect clearance of bacteria. The consortium will select the most promising and innovative compounds with this dual mode of action and: - Design proteins with anti-microbial activity in combination with an inflammatory trigger, targeting extra cellular bacteria; - Design proteins with inflammatory priming capacity (without extra anti-microbial activity); targeting intracellular bacteria; - Discover new TLR and PGRP and FPR modulators to dampen inflammation.
