# Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptoids for Treatment of Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media

> **NIH NIH R41** · MAXWELL BIOSCIENCES, INC. · 2021 · $256,538

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
The goal of this project is to develop a new, effective treatment for chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), a
currently uncurable condition involving severe, chronic middle ear infection. CSOM is the most common cause
of persistent hearing loss for children in the developing world, and affects 330 million people worldwide. It is
characterized by a chronically infected, discharging middle ear, and currently has no effective medical therapy.
The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is a leading cause of CSOM, and colonizes the middle ear via
a perforated tympanic membrane, where it becomes established into a biofilm community. The current primary
treatment modality for CSOM, fluoroquinolone (usually ofloxacin) eardrops, is ineffective in completely
eliminating CSOM infection, apparently due to an inability to target the subpopulation of metabolically inactive
bacteria within the biofilm known as ‘persister cells’. These persister cells repopulate the biofilm niche after the
fluoroquinolone therapy is discontinued, causing CSOM to relapse. This interdisciplinary project leverages the
combined expertise of the Santa Maria lab, which has created a mouse model for CSOM with PA biofilms and
has recent middle ear translational success, and the Barron lab, which develops antimicrobials.
Our innovative approach involves the design, synthesis, optimization and in vivo testing of uniquely biostable
analoguesof natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs are natural defense mechanisms to combat infectious
agents in vivo, and some are effective against biofilms; yet their poor bioavailability (i.e. rapid in vivo proteolytic
degradation) limits their clinical use. We will utilize AMP mimics based which are sequence- and length-specific
oligo-N-substituted glycine mimics of natural polypeptides. on peptoids, Peptoids are based on a polypeptide
backbone; yet have side-chains appended to backbone nitrogens. Because of this structural difference, peptoids
are completely stable to proteolysis. Furthermore, they can be made in high yields at reasonable cost, using an
automated peptide synthesizer. Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptoids (SAMPs) are potent drugs that can completely
eliminate persisters in biofilms. Our preliminary data show that SAMPs are more effective than ofloxacin at
killing planktonic persister cells and eradicating mature biofilms.
Our aims are focused on optimizing our lead SAMP candidate and confirming efficacy in our CSOM mouse
model. The Aims are: (1) in vitro screening of TM5 analogs modified to improve efficacy against clinical isolate
persister cells and mature biofilms and (2) showing proof of concept that the lead SAMP can be effective in a
CSOM mouse model while also being non-ototoxic. After finishing our final in vivo efficacy, we plan to proceed
through preclinical translation. With Phase II support, our goals will be to show non-systemic toxicity, safety,
distribution, pharmacokinetics, formulation, stabilit...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10384258
- **Project number:** 1R41DC020077-01
- **Recipient organization:** MAXWELL BIOSCIENCES, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Annelise Emily Barron
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $256,538
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10384258

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10384258, Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptoids for Treatment of Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (1R41DC020077-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10384258. Licensed CC0.

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