Discovery and preclinical validation of evolution-designed, AI-discovered, synthetically printed biologic molecules for MDR-TB

该项目的重点是发现同类最好的抗菌肽(AMPs)，并在临床前验证这些新的生物分子是治疗耐多药结核病(MDR-TB)的有效替代方案。结核病是一种常见的细菌感染，通常影响肺部，通过吸入微小的感染物质传播。在历史上，这种疾病的死亡率很高，但今天，如果使用正确的抗生素疗程，这种疾病被认为是迫在眉睫的可以治愈和预防的。然而，耐多药结核病涉及对现有抗生素具有抗药性的细菌菌株，因此可能无法治疗。耐多药结核病是一个正在出现的重大公共卫生问题。世卫组织估计，2021年有45万人患上对利福平(一线结核病药物)耐药的结核病，相关死亡人数为19.1万人。耐多药结核病比标准的药物敏感结核病治疗费用高得多，也更难治疗，它的增加威胁着二十世纪在防治结核病方面取得的进展。无法治疗、无法控制的耐多药结核病疫情可能会对健康和经济产生巨大影响。

This project is focused on the discovery of best-in-class antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and the preclinical validation of these new biologic molecules as an effective treatment alternative for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).Tuberculosis is a common bacterial infection, typically affecting the lungs, spread through inhalation of tiny droplets of infected matter. Historically the disease had a high mortality rate, however today the disease is considered imminently curable and preventable if treated with the right course of antibiotics. However, MDR-TB involves strains of the bacteria which are resistant to existing antibiotics and are therefore potentially not treatable.MDR-TB is a major emerging public health problem. In 2021, the WHO estimates that 450,000 people developed TB which was resistant to rifampicin (the first line TB drug), and there were 191,000 related deaths. MDR-TB is significantly more expensive and difficult to treat than standard drug-sensitive TB and its rise threatens the progress made in the twentieth century combating TB. An untreatable, uncontrolled MDR-TB epidemic could have huge health and economic implications.