Evaluating Novel Therapies for Urinary Tract Infections

SUMMARY: Researchers will investigate new ways to treat E. coli urinary tract infections in cats.

THE PROBLEM:Feline urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common reason cats need antibiotics, with E. coli being the main bacterial culprit responsible. But treating these infections is getting harder. E.coli is becoming resistant to antibiotics and can hide in biofilms, especially on urinary catheters. Biofilms are layers that protect the bacteria from antibiotics, making it hard to get rid of the infection. There is an urgent need for new ways to break down these biofilms without making antibiotic resistance worse.

THE PROJECT: The researchers will look at two promising solutions to overcome the problem of biofilms: bacteriophages (viruses that attack bacteria) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs, small proteins that bacteria make). The team wants to find out how common biofilm-making E. coli are in cat UTIs, then set up a lab model of these infections using catheters. They’ll test how well phage mixtures and AMPs work against these biofilms, both on their own and together. Finally, the team will use their catheter model to check how effective phages and AMPs are both alone and when used together in treating cat UTIs.

POTENTIAL IMPACT: By developing these new therapies, the team hopes to reduce the need for important antibiotics in treating cat UTIs, improving the health of cats and possibly helping public health as well.