Antibiotic Development Against Klebsiella pneumoniae

Abstract

Each year over 23000 people are infected with the opportunistic gram-negative bacteria known as Klebsiella pneumoniae. Approximately 1 in every 3 of these infections demonstrate resistance to all available antibiotics, including carbapenem, an antibiotic often touted as the last line of defense against bacterial infection. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new antibiotics against this pathogen.

Isoprenoids are a class of molecules needed for fundamental cell functions and are essential for life. While humans use the mevalonic acid biosynthetic pathway to make isoprenoids, many pathogenic bacteria, including K. pneumoniae, produce their essential isoprenoid molecules via the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway. Since the MEP pathway is absent in humans, MEP pathway enzymes are attractive targets for the development of new antibiotics.