A team of OU researchers has discovered a way to treat infectious diseases; this could help reduce the risk of the creation of new bugs, which are resistant to antibiotics.

Two professors Robert Cichewicz and Professor Felicia Qi from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and OU Health Sciences Center’s College of Dentistry, respectively, discovered a microorganism called Streptococcus mutans could inhibit the growth of Candida albicans, is pathogenic yeast.

Cichewicz said that by inhibiting yeast they could inhibit other strains of yeast infection, which could lead to more severe disease and were more resistant. They discovered that there was a molecule, which could lead to the cell from transforming into a more advanced stage. Example such as thrush occurs in the filamentous phase. Thrush is caused by human pathogenic yeast and was more likely to present in HIV patients, organ transplant recipients and newborns.

Other member of the team, from chemistry and biochemistry disciplines who played a vital role in finding out about the chemical and molecular structure were Matt Joyner and Trevor Ellis, postdoctoral, and research associate Jarrod King and graduate student Xiaoru Wang.

A professor of biochemistry and microbiology at the University of Florida Arthur Edison, stated Cichewicz and his team had discovered new ways to study the multifaceted relationships between organisms that might help in yeast infection. It was complicated to isolate and study one, and the work they did was amazing.

The project came about as a collaboration of OU’s College of Dentistry and this would change the traditional field of approaching dentistry as they would be able to look at key issues, the microorganisms which lead to poor dental health.
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