The Power of Nature & Antibiotic-Resistance

Cassandra Quave, PhD, was featured in the New York Times, NPR, and Scientific Reports for her novel ethnobotanical research in the face of growing antibiotic resistance. Quave, assistant professor in dermatology and the study of human health and her research team have developed two anti-infective compositions that are useful for blocking virulence pathways in bacteria. The compositions block the bacterial cell signaling, and as a result, they block production of virulence factors that are crucial for the progression of the disease process. One compound is derived from Pepper Tree plants in Florida, and the other comes from Chestnut leaves from Southern Italy. Thus far, they have been vetted in animal models with demonstrated efficacy and are well-tolerated in both animals and cultures of human skin cells.