Development of SecA as an Antimicrobial Target

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Emergence of antibiotic-resistance has created a medical crisis. Life-threatening bacterial pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis, have developed widespread resistance to current antibiotics. Infectious disease has become the third leading cause of death in the U.S. At Cubist, novel bacterial targets have been identified to produce new classes of antibiotics to address the increasing mortality caused by infectious disease. SecA is one of such targets that has been chosen for screening of drug leads. SecA is a unique key component involved in bacterial protein translocation and is essential for cell growth. Significant progress has been made during the Phase I grant period to develop SecA as an antimicrobial target. In this Phase II application we plan to identify and optimize small molecule compounds that will be suitable for pre-clinical studies. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Not Available