Antibacterial Drug Development

Gram-positive bacteria are formidable human pathogens. Staphylococci are responsible for more than a million hospital-acquired bacterial infections every year. Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for a major portion of 3 million deaths worldwide of children from pneumonia and meningitis and for a large number of deaths from pneumonia that occurs in elderly individuals. In addition, individuals infected with HIV and other immunosuppressive conditions are at high risk of invasive diseases caused by S. pneumoniae and S. aureus. Compounding their importance is the recent steep increase in multi-drug resistance found in bacteria. New approaches for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections require greater understanding of the molecular structures of the chosen intervention targets and of the pathogenic role played by the target in the infectious process.