Fighting two major pathogens

Conlon's laboratory in the United Arab Emirates works with samples from frogs gathered collaboratively by scientists in Japan, France and the United States.

The naturally occurring compounds are first purified and then synthesized. At that point, structural changes are made in the molecules. The results have proved to be less toxic to human cells.

Conlon says the new compounds show promise in fighting two major pathogens, the well known methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and a new emerging bacterium, Acintobacter baumanni. "This has been called the Iraqibacter because many wounded soldiers in Iraq have developed infections by this microorganism."

Frog mouthwash

Conlon also sees great potential for other antibiotic applications from creams and ointments for wounds to treatment of foot ulcers. He adds that the peptides have shown to be very effective against oral pathogens. "So we are interested in the possibility of incorporating of incorporating them into a mouth wash."

But Conlon says as a researcher in a small university lab, he can only take the product so far. "To bring a drug from the laboratory to the pharmacy literally costs hundreds of millions of dollars. We really need a partner in the pharmaceutical industry with which to collaborate."

Should that partner step forward, J. Michael Conlon predicts that some frog-skin derived compounds could make their way into clinical trials and into marketable drugs within five years.