Metal complexes with bacterial activity

Project description

The overall goal of the project is to identify candidates for alternative treatment strategies that may complement today's treatments against infection. Early stages of this project investigated Ag as antibacterial agent. However, after initial observations of pronounced cytotoxic effects of Ag complexes on mammalian cells, the project was focused on Ga complexes. Ga(III) is a Fe(III) mimetic and its biological effect can be modified by ligand complexation. At the start of the project, effects were investigated on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Later studies have been focusing on using Ga citrate against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

This start of this project was co-founded by the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, VINNOVA and Curth Nilsons stiftelse för vetenskaplig forskning within a framework called “Biomedical Engineering for Improved Health” (Medicinsk teknik för bättre hälsa). The continuation was funded from the Swedish Research Council, the Kempe Foundation (instrumentation) and Umeå University.

Important collaboration partners have been e.g. Anders Sjöstedt, Erik Björn, Mikael Elofsson and Jean-François Boily all at Umeå University.

Publications of interest:

2009, Bacterial and Mammalian Cell Response to Poly (3-Sulfopropyl methacrylate) Brushes Loaded with Silver Halide Salts

2011, Ligand complexation affects uptake and antibacterial effect of gallium in bacteria

2014, The gallium(III)–salicylidene acylhydrazide complex shows synergistic anti-biofilm effect and inhibits toxin production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2014, Proton and Gallium(III) Binding Properties of a Biologically Active Salicylidene Acylhydrazide

2016, Influence of Chelation Strength and Bacterial Uptake of Gallium Salicylidene Acylhydrazide on Biofilm Formation and Virulence by Pseudomonas aeruginosa