Chaperone’s antimicrobial program focuses on development of peptide as well as small molecule hsp70 inhibitor drugs that block the effect of this important class of molecular “chaperones” whose role is to help mediate or respond to toxic misfolded proteins within bacteria. Inhibition of this critical bacterial protein has been proven to kill bacterial pathogens. Besides antimicrobials, the inhibition of hsp70 molecular chaperone proteins in other cell-types has a range of therapeutic applications that are being investigated by the company.
Co-authored by Peter C. Appelbaum, MD, PhD, Professor of Pathology and Director of Clinical Microbiology at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (Hershey, PA) the ICAAC study Activity of levofloxacin alone and in combination with a bacterial hsp70 inhibitor against gram-negative rods including levofloxacin-resistant strains confirms that quinolones such as levofloxacin exhibit significant antimicrobial synergy across a range of bacterial pathogens including resistant strains when used in combination with hsp70 inhibitors such as those in development by Chaperone Technologies.
According to Dr. Appelbaum “The results of this study show increased activity of a quinolone agent and a bacterial hsp70 inhibitor in combination compared to the activity of either agent alone when tested against key bacterial pathogens. At a time when bacterial resistance to existing antimicrobial agents is increasing throughout the world, the development of more effective agents and promising therapeutic approaches such as this is especially important.”
“Bacterial resistance of Gram negative pathogens to current antimicrobials is becoming a severe problem worldwide, and popular drugs such as the quinolones may not be effective treatment options in the near future. With few if any truly innovative drugs in development to improve therapeutic choices, combination therapy may currently be the only option to treat these resistant strains” says Kenneth E. Kovan, President and CEO of Chaperone Technologies.
______________________________________________________________________________ About Chaperone Technologies, Inc. Chaperone Technologies Inc. develops novel antimicrobials that target cellular hsp70 proteins for difficult-to-treat and drug-resistant organisms across a broad range of infectious diseases. The company is pursuing combination and monotherapies as treatments for hospital acquired infections such as those from surgical wounds, respiratory and urinary tract infections, and has a program with the Department of Defense to develop therapeutics for use against selected biowarfare pathogens.
Chaperone’s research and development activities are conducted in East Stroudsburg, PA, and administrative offices are located in Radnor, PA. For more information visit www.chaperonetechnologies.com or call the Company at (610) 977-0888.
