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Symbiotic-based discovery of turbinmicin, a safe and selective antifungal against resistant fungi

Award Number: R01AI167883
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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Symbiotic-based discovery of turbinmicin, a safe and selective antifungal against resistant fungi - New antifungal drugs are needed to address the emergence of pan-drug resistant fungal pathogens that threaten a growing immunocompromised patient population. Underscoring this urgency is the recent global spread of Candida auris, which is resistant to all three of the available antifungal classes. Natural products from bacteria have served as an important source of anti-infectives, including antifungals. We leveraged new sources of bacteria harvested from marine invertebrate microbiomes to generate natural product screening libraries and identified turbinmicin, a novel antifungal targeting multidrug resistant (MDR) fungal pathogens. Turbinmicin displays potent in vitro and in vivo efficacy toward multiple MDR-fungal pathogens, exhibits a wide safety index, and functions through a fungal-specific mode of action, targeting the vesicular trafficking pathway. We subsequently synthesized turbinmicin analogs to modulate the pharmaceutical properties including solubility. Based on our promising results, our premise is that turbinmicin analogs represent the next generation of safe and effective antifungal targeting drug resistant fungal infections. In this project, the Wisconsin Drug Discovery and Development Center will use lead optimization to develop turbinmicin, a novel natural product representative from a new class of broad-spectrum and non-toxic antifungals. The aims are focused on efficacy (specific aim 1), safety (specific aim 2), and production/formulation (specific aim 3). We divide each of the three aims into two sequential Stages. Stage 1 will identify the most promising lead analog based upon efficacy, safety, and solubility screens. Stage 2 will delineate IND-enabling PK/PD efficacy and safety in established murine models and rat models, respectively. Impact: As there are no effective therapies for emerging pan-drug resistant fungal pathogens, our work fills a critical unmet need. Our studies will provide several IND-enabling datasets for clinical development of a new class of antifungal targeting high threat drug-resistant fungi. The investigations use complementary, cutting-edge technologies to test the efficacy and safety of the turbinmicin compound series, and optimize drug production. The research will be performed in outstanding environments by a cohesive group of PIs and industry partners, with complementary expertise in preclinical and clinical antimicrobial pharmacology and natural product chemistry.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $763,891 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	4	2/14/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$763,891
														Subtotal = $763,891

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $763,891 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	3	5/24/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$76,389
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	3	2/26/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$687,502
														Subtotal = $763,891

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $710,036 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	2/22/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$710,036
														Subtotal = $710,036

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $777,498 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	3/4/2022	NEW	$777,498
														Subtotal = $777,498

Grand Total All Awards = $3,015,316

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Symbiotic-based discovery of turbinmicin, a safe and selective antifungal against resistant fungi

Award Number: R01AI167883

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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