Antibiotic-Antigen Conjugates Bring Immunotherapy to Deadly Bacteria

It delivers a one-two punch. “It” is a small-molecule drug that incorporates an antibiotic and an antigenic epitope. The antibiotic directly kills gram-negative bacteria, and the antigenic epitope induces a targeted immune response. Linked together, these components constitute a deadly duo, one that may defeat antibiotic-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa , which causes pneumonia and sepsis, and Escherichia coli , which causes food-borne illnesses, urinary tract infections,