The leader of a research group at CEITEC Masaryk University, Robert Vácha, has been awarded the prestigious ERC Proof of Concept grant for preclinical testing of new antimicrobial peptides that have the potential to significantly contribute to the fight the antibiotic resistance in bacteria. This grant, amounting to EUR 150,000 for a duration of 12–18 months, is awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) and supports innovative projects with high application potential.
Robert Vácha's research focuses on the development of antimicrobial peptides aiming to address the critical need for effective treatment of respiratory infections caused by resistant bacteria, which are particularly prevalent in hospitals. The peptides developed by his team specifically disrupt the lipid protective layer of bacteria, for example by perforating it, thereby eliminating the bacteria without harming human cells. The main issue with traditional antibiotics is that bacteria can develop resistance to them. However, disrupting their lipid layer significantly limits this ability.
“Our antimicrobial peptides have demonstrated exceptional efficacy in laboratory tests against the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii, which predominantly causes infections in hospitalized patients with weakened immune systems. No new chemical class of antibiotics has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) against this bacterium for more than 50 years. This grant will enable us to advance the research towards clinical testing, which is a crucial step towards approving a new treatment for these hard-to-treat infections,” said Robert Vácha.
Antimicrobial peptides developed at CEITEC also show promising activity against other pathogens that cause severe infections, such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or burn wound infections. The uniqueness of this technology lies not only in its effectiveness against bacteria but also in its potential ability to destroy cancer cells, opening up opportunities for new ways to treat solid tumours.
The ERC Proof of Concept grant is exclusively available to ERC grant holders, making it awarded to a highly selective group of applicants, which underscores its prestige and significance. The grant aims to transfer the results of basic research into practice and stimulate innovations with high societal impact.
The project will commence in the coming months, and Robert Vácha’s team will focus on detailed pharmacological testing and evaluating the therapeutic potential of antimicrobial peptides while aiming to minimize animal testing and prioritize the use of modern cell models. This project represents an important step towards developing a new generation of antibiotics and anticancer therapies that could have a significant impact on global healthcare.