The WVU School of Medicine has received a substantial grant to research developing treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections.
The grant was received through the U.S. Department of Defense s Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and totals $1.4 million. A research group will be led by assistant professor Mariette Barbier.
Antibiotics, which are vital to the recovery in medical advancements such as joint replacement, organ transplant, cancer therapy and treatment of chronic illnesses, are designed to prevent infections following these procedures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, because antibiotics have evolving versatility, it can result in rejection and ultimately defeat the drugs that were designed to kill them.
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IMAGE: Mariette Barbier and Alexander Horspool, of the Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology department in the WVU School of Medicine, observe bacterium as part of a $1.4-million study, funded by the. view more
Credit: Zane Lacko/West Virginia University
Antibiotic resistance is not exclusively a health issue.
It s a national security threat, as the Department of Defense has tapped a team of West Virginia University scientists to help exterminate the enemy - infectious biological agents.
With the aid of $1.4 million-grant from the DOD s Defense Threat Reduction Agency, researchers, led by Mariette Barbier of the WVU School of Medicine, will aim to develop small molecule and antibody therapeutics to treat infections prone to antibiotic resistance.