Targeted radionuclide therapy: a new weapon in the war against microbial multi-drug resistance -

Abstract

Bacterial multi-drug resistance is major threat to human health, making once-treatable diseases ever more difficult to treat. This project will develop a new anti-microbial modality, borrowed from cancer treatment: targeted radionuclide therapy or “molecular radiotherapy”. Bacteria use siderophores to sequester iron from their environment; they also efficiently bind gallium that behaves as an iron mimic. Radioactive gallium isotopes for therapy are available: ⁶⁷Ga emits Auger electrons with a range commensurate with the size of bacterial cells, and should therefore selectively kill the bacteria to which they are targeted. Thus, by administering ⁶⁷Ga-siderophore compounds, we envisage that we can selectively kill bacteria while avoiding significant host toxicity.

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