The BM1003 action will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of document COST 4159/10 “Rules and Procedures for Implementing COST Actions”, or in any new document amending or replacing it, the contents of which the Parties are fully aware of.
COST ActionBM 1003
BM1003 is a research project supported by C.O.S.T.
Microbial cell surface determinants of virulence as targets for new therapeutics in Cystic Fibrosis
-
-
The main aim of BM1003 action is to create an integrated network of excellence involving collaboration between experts in the multi-disciplinary fields of science required for understanding microbial cell surface determinants of virulence, antibiotic resistance and inflammation.
-
The economic dimension of the activities carried out under the Action has been estimated, on the basis of information available during the planning of the Action, at 44,00 EUR million in 2010 prices. The action will take four years.
Keep in touch
Do you want know more about this action ?
Chair
Prof. Antonio MOLINARO
molinaro@unina.it
Vice Chair
Dr. Anthony DE SOYZA
anthony.de-soyza@ncl.ac.uk
Grant Holder
Dr. Rita BERISIO
rita.berisio@unina.it
Visit Contacts section for more media
Cystic fibrosis disease
Cystic fibrosis (CF) causes constitutive inflammation in many organs and it particularly affects the lung. Chronic airway inflammation with chronic bacterial infections becomes established in most patients and it may lead to lung damage, destruction and eventually death.
The bacterial factors and the molecular mechanisms which provoke inflammation in the respiratory epithelium of cystic fibrosis patients remain unclear. This topic is tackled using a coordinated and interdisciplinary approach by joining efforts by 16 European Countries.
Competencies range from chemistry to microbiology and medicine. This multi- and inter-disciplinary approach is aimed at enabling the development of novel antibacterial inhibitors for anti-inflammatory therapy in cystic fibrosis patients.
Reasons for the Action
The major reasons for launching this Action are to rapidly develop novel therapies for CF and non-CF patient groups at risk for lung infections with opportunistic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. This aim will be achieved by the coordination of researchers into a European network of the already funded national research. Networking will also avoid repetition or duplication of scientific work and thus spare valuable resources of prior isolated research groups in Europe. We will create a defined panel of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens as an open user resource. This COST Action will enable researchers to develop novel inhibitors of bacterial cell wall synthesis with the aim to reduce lung inflammation in CF airways and to eradicate the pathogens with novel treatment strategies. This will increase the life expectancy of the CF patients. The pathogens that will be studied are also known to affect other patient groups including patients with immunodeficiencies such as burns patients and ventilated patients in critical care units. Also in these large patient groups, mortality due to respiratory infections is high. Improvement in knowledge of bacterial pathogenesis would have important implications for these patient groups, the quality of life of affected individual, and with the potential to reduce the inappropriate use of currently administered antibiotics, which increase the number of resistant pathogens in the European community.