Backgrounder – Canada/UK Partnership on Antibiotic Resistance

[ Press Release 2011-33 ]

Antibiotics such as penicillin have been the biggest therapeutic success in history and these drugs continue to save millions of lives. However, some types of bacteria have evolved to become resistant to antibiotics. The challenge of preventing, treating and controlling the spread of drug resistant infections is particularly evident with the occurrence of these infections in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

The Government of Canada recognizes the serious impact that antibiotic resistance has on individuals, their families and the health care system. That is why the Government is supporting two large research teams that will address this issue through the Canada/UK Partnership on Antibiotic Resistance, a collaboration between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) in the United Kingdom.

The two teams, composed of leading researchers from Canada and the UK, will receive more than $7 million over four years from CIHR and MRC. They will be working to find new targets for antibacterial drugs and new ways to prevent or stop the spread of drug resistant infections in hospitals and other health care settings.

The research teams are as follows:

• A team led by Dr. Gary Dmitrienko of the University Waterloo and Professor Tim Walsh of the University of Cardiff will focus on hospital acquired infections with the aim of developing a new treatment for infections caused by bacteria resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillin, carbapenems). (Funding: $3,565,700 over four years)

• A team led by Dr. Anthony Clarke of the University of Guelph and Professor Chris Dowson of the University of Warwick will focus on increasing our understanding of bacterial cell wall growth and production with the aim of identifying new targets for the development of new antibiotics. (Funding: $3,559,352 over four years)

The Canada/UK Partnership on Antibiotic Resistance is led by the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity and the UK Medical Research Council. It was created with the following objectives:

• build on existing research strengths in Canada and the UK.
• promote and strengthen partnerships to advance research in antibiotic resistance.
• fast-track the development of drugs and strategies for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections.