Grant: Project Grant

Clostridioides difficile (or C. diff) is a bacterium that causes life-threatening intestinal infections and diarrhea. It is the most common healthcare-associated infection, and one of the 5 pathogens considered an urgent threat by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Current antibiotic treatments for C. diff are plagued by high rates of disease relapse, creating a need for new treatment strategies. The bacterium produces and releases toxins in the digestive tract which are the primary cause of disease and exciting targets for a new therapy. At present there are no small molecule drugs that target the toxins, on the market or in clinical trial. We propose to develop innovative solutions to inactivate the toxins released by C. diff before they provoke disease. This strategy could provide much needed alternatives to antibiotics for the treatment of C. diff infection.