Drug repurposing for inhibiting pathogenic biofilms and potentiating the activity of antibiotics (DRIPBEAT)

Bacterial biofilms (BB) are clusters of bacteria embedded in their own matrix, associated with chronic infections with higher tolerance to antibiotics. Secondary messenger cyclic di-GMP (cdGMP) promotes biofilm formation and is a potential target in the BB disruption strategies. The EU-funded DRIPBEAT project aims to repurpose drugs for targeting the cdGMP pathway and biofilms, increasing the antibiotic susceptibility of clinically important Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. The interdisciplinary study will combine next-generation sequencing technology and protein structural modelling in a murine model of lung epithelial cell infection. The results will provide new insights into the cdGMP pathway and the selection of appropriate compounds for BB treatment.