Dr.
Pham Tran Vinh Phu
VN-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education, The University of Danang, Vietnam
Title of the talk: Combination approaches to identify potential compounds against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive bacterium, is a prevalent microorganism that possesses the capability to disseminate extensively within the community. It serves as the etiological agent for various asymptomatic human ailments such as soft tissue infections, endocarditis, sepsis, fatal pneumonia, osteomyelitis, and food poisoning in humans. Upon transformation into a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), this particular strain can instigate diseases that are arduous to manage or exhibit resistance against empirically prescribed antibiotics, particularly in the case of life-threatening infections like sepsis. Therefore, the increase of multidrug-resistant bacteria, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is an alarming problem for global health in recent years and near future. The main reason is the improper use of antibiotics in treatment, while the development of new antibiotics has not kept up with the increasing rate of antibiotic resistance. In addition to raising general awareness about antibiotic use in healthcare systems and communities, finding new antibiotics is one of the top priorities at present. In the structure of MRSA bacteria, penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) play a role in the integrity of the bacterial cell wall and prevent the entry of harmful molecules to the bacteria, so PBPs are the key factors in the mechanism of antibiotic resistance activity of MRSA. The development of therapies for MRSA-associated infections through compounds that directly act on PBPs is a recent promising approach. Previous reports indicated that many herbal plants in Vietnam as well as compounds from commercial libraries have shown remarkable antibacterial activity against MRSA, however, the mechanism of action has not been elucidated yet. In this study, we are going to show you the combination model between pharmaceutical technology based on traditional medicine, in silico, in vitro, and in vivo to screen and elucidate the mechanism by which chemical compounds have the potential to inhibit MRSA. The results obtained from our investigations will provide important scientific evidence for further research to use herbal plants and library compounds to develop new antibiotics in the treatment or supporting treatment of MRSA infections in the future.
Biography
Dr. Pham Tran Vinh Phu, the leader of a health science research group at VNUK-The University of Danang, has played prominent roles as the chair or key member of numerous projects at various levels. Dr. Phu completed a Bachelor degree in Biotechnology Engineering at Da Nang University of Technology in 2007 and subsequently worked as a lecturer at Department of Biotechnology – Department of Chemistry – Da Nang University of Technology. In 2018, Dr. Phu earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from University of Tsukuba in Japan, focusing on molecular biology and viruses. Following Ph.D. degree, Dr. Phu continued as a postdoctoral fellow at Faculty of Medicine-University of Tsukuba for one year. During his five-year tenure at University of Tsukuba, Dr. Phu investigated the adaptive mechanisms of avian influenza virus within the human body at the molecular biology level. From 2019 to 2020, Dr. Phu served as a lecturer in Biomedical Science at VNUK Institute for Research and Executive Education (VNUK) – The University of Danang. Since 2021 to 2024, Dr. Phu had been affiliated with Faculty of Medicine at Dong A University, where he taught and conducted research in health sciences, infectious diseases, and topics related to human health. From March of 2024, Phu backs VNUK to become an expert in biomedical field in near future.
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