Open Access

Christian Schütz, Duy-Khiet Ho, Mostafa Mohamed Hamed, Ahmed Saad Abdelsamie, Teresa Röhrig, Christian Herr, Andreas Martin Kany, Katharina Rox, Stefan Schmelz, Lorenz Siebenbürger, Marius Wirth, Carsten Börger, Samir Yahiaoui, Robert Bals, Andrea Scrima, Wulf Blankenfeldt, Justus Constantin Horstmann, Rebekka Christmann, Xabier Murgia, Marcus Koch, Aylin Berwanger, Brigitta Loretz, Anna Katharina H. Hirsch, Rolf W. Hartmann, Claus-Michael Lehr, Martin Empting

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections can be notoriously difficult to treat and are often accompanied by the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Quorum sensing inhibitors (QSI) acting on PqsR (MvfR) – a crucial transcriptional regulator serving major functions in PA virulence – can enhance antibiotic efficacy and eventually prevent the AMR. An integrated drug discovery campaign including design, medicinal chemistry-driven hit-to-lead optimization and in-depth biological profiling of a new QSI generation is reported. The QSI possess excellent activity in inhibiting pyocyanin production and PqsR reporter-gene with IC50 values as low as 200 and 11 × 10−9 m, respectively. Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) as well as safety pharmacology studies especially highlight the promising translational properties of the lead QSI for pulmonary applications. Moreover, target engagement of the lead QSI is shown in a PA mucoid lung infection mouse model. Beyond that, a significant synergistic effect of a QSI-tobramycin (Tob) combination against PA biofilms using a tailor-made squalene-derived nanoparticle (NP) formulation, which enhance the minimum biofilm eradicating concentration (MBEC) of Tob more than 32-fold is demonstrated. The novel lead QSI and the accompanying NP formulation highlight the potential of adjunctive pathoblocker-mediated therapy against PA infections opening up avenues for preclinical development.