The development of new multi-resistant strains, the side-effects caused by current antifungal drugs and the high morbidity of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) and its recurrent form (RVVC) indicates that it is important to develop new therapeutic tools for the treatment of these diseases.
To treat these diseases both safely and effectively, we are developing new antifungal molecules based on the so-called Killer Peptide. We are also developing a new technology that allow us to easily increase the potency of other antimicrobial peptides. In this way, a second generation of peptide-based antimicrobials with enhanced potency is currently being developed.
This arsenal of new molecules are potentially suitable for the production and marketing of novel therapeutics that would be able to treat VVC and RVVC in an effective and safe manner.
To speak at a Researcher Live session, please email kristine.lennie@researcher-app.com
Series programme:
- 18th May, 10am BST - Dr Miguel Fernández de Ullivarri, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at APC Microbiome Institute: ‘A Killer solution for vaginal candidiasis: New generation of antifungal peptides’
- 23rd June, 10am BST - Dr Garry Laverty , Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University in Belfast: ‘Peptide Hydrogel and Nanotubes for Drug Delivery and Biomaterial Applications’
Dr Miguel Fernández de Ullivarri, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at APC Microbiome Institute
Dr. Miguel Fernandez de Ullivarri (34) was born in Argentina. After graduating as BSc in Biotechnology in 2010, he obtained his PhD in Biochemistry at Universidad Nacional de Tucuman in 2015, studying the antimicrobial killer toxins produced by native wine yeasts from Northwestern Argentina. He carried out his first Postdoctoral research at INSIBIO, Argentina, on the recombinant expression antigens from the parasite Leishmania braziliensis for the development of novel vaccines for Leishmaniasis. In 2018, he moved to Cork, Ireland as a Marie Curie Fellow to work at APC Microbiome in University College Cork with Prof. Paul Cotter, where he started his current project on novel antifungal peptides for the treatment of vaginal candidiasis. Dr. Fernandez de Ullivarri is still working on this and other applied science projects on antimicrobials, such as the enhancement of Nisin A production by genetic engineering of Lactococcus lactis with the company ImmuCell (USA).
DOI: nusAKZCcX8owF3CeAMH5_prepost_1
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