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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

lipid A, polymyxin B, bacterial infections, septic shock, toxin

College

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Abstract

Gram-negative bacteria contain a toxin known as lipid A (1 in Figure 1). During bacterial infections, lipid A may be released from the bacteria and cause a condition known as septic shock, an over-response of the host immune system that may result in death (2). In fact, septic shock kills over 100,000 people annually in the U.S.1 In hopes of developing treatments for septic shock, we are researching compounds that bind and detoxify lipid A. One such compound, polymyxin B (2 in Figure 2), is itself too toxic for medicinal use; nevertheless, we want to understand how polymyxin B binds lipid A. This understanding will help us develop compounds that bind lipid A and can be used medicinally to prevent sepsis. In fact, members of our lab group have already made mimics of polymyxin B that may bind lipid A. We want to test the lipid A binding ability of these compounds.

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