Antimicrobial resistant challenges us in treating chronic infections. Patients suffering from chronic infections such as pneumonia, chronic wound infections, tuberculosis (TB) and cystic fibrosis often need frequent and high-dose antibiotics for long period of their life. Most of antibiotics have severe side effects and low drug efficiency. A drug delivery system capable of carrying the drug to exact target can minimize side effects and decrease antibiotic resistance. This project intends to develop target-gated liposomes capable of finding the bacteria and releasing antibiotics in response. Liposomes will be composed of pH-sensitive lipids and will have a gated cation transporter in their wall which opens only when it binds to the bacteria. When the transporter opens, cations flow into liposomes and cause a pH drop in the liposomes, leading to conformational change of lipids and disrupting the liposome' wall and finally drug release.

2024

2028