Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc. (BIDMC) received a $493,865 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. The award funds the development of next-generation spectinomycin analogs designed to overcome antibiotic resistance mechanisms and enhance potency against multidrug-resistant pathogens, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The research leverages spectinomycin's favorable safety profile and existing efficacy against resistant organisms by using structure- and molecular property-guided asymmetric glycochemistry combined with streptamine semi-synthesis to create analogs that evade inactivation by adenylase enzymes and improve penetration across the outer membranes of gram-negative bacteria.

The project addresses a critical public health gap identified by the CDC, which categorizes these multidrug-resistant pathogens among the highest antibiotic resistance threat levels. By developing spectinomycin derivatives with broad-spectrum activity against resistant gram-negative organisms, BIDMC will generate potential therapeutic candidates that maintain the parent compound's non-toxic profile while overcoming current resistance limitations. The research products will advance the antimicrobial pipeline for treating otherwise untreatable infections caused by ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species).