November 15, 2017

Expert: Drug repurposing could save lives as the world enters a ‘post-antibiotic era’

Mohamed Seleem Mohamed Seleem, a professor of microbiology at Purdue, is studying whether FDA-approved drugs can treat antibiotic-resistant infections. (Purdue University photo/Rebecca Wilcox) Download image

WHAT: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that drug-resistant “superbugs” are infecting about 7,500 people every day and cause more than 35,000 deaths each year, creating a “post-antibiotic era.” A scientist at Purdue University is working on several solutions, including repurposing FDA-approved drugs to treat antibiotic resistant infections and using blue light to treat MRSA infections.

EXPERT: Mohamed Seleem, a professor of microbiology in Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, has focused his research on developing new antimicrobials and the improved delivery of drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases that affect both humans and animals.

QUOTE: “The world is running out of antibiotics. That’s the scary reality we are facing right now. We could be entering a time where a simple wound could be deadly and patients will fear common infections. We are working with more than 4,000 FDA-approved drugs to see how many could treat antibiotic resistant infections. We want to help provide some answers to this critical situation and save the lives of patients.”

MORE INFORMATION: Seleem is the section head of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine and leads the Seleem Research Group

Writer: Abbey Nickel, 765-496-1325, nickela@purdue.edu  

Source: Mohamed Seleem, mseleem@purdue.edu

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