Novel antibiotic targets and drug design

In a world of increasing resistance, discovery of antibiotics acting on new, unexploited targets is an important medical need. In coworking with groups active in pharmaceutical chemistry or in pharmacognosy (within the institute or outside), we evaluate the activity of new compounds and try to decipher their mode of action.
Our clinical research aims at optimizing the scheme of administration of antibiotics in terms of ease of administration, safety, and efficacy, taking into account their pharmacodynamic properties.
At the present time, we are evaluating administration by continuous infusion or prolonged infusion of beta-lactams. In the framework of an ongoing European project, we are evaluating the interest of implementing in the clinics a rapid method for assaying these drugs in the serum (< 1 h), allowing for immediate dose readaptation taking into account pharmacokinetic variations in intensive care patients. We also perform pharmacokinetic studies in specific patients populations (like haemodialysis patients) in order to propose optimize therapeutic doses. We are also involved in a project financed by the Walloon region aiming at developing a rapid assay for the determination of colistin concentration in serum.