During the course of Dr. Bowdish’s PhD she discovered that host defence peptides (formerly known as antimicrobial peptides) were not actually bactericidal under physiological conditions. Instead they worked by interacting with the leukocytes as “immunomodulators” altering cytokine responses and chemotaxis and altering the leukocyte’s pro-inflammatory response. This work was the basis of a patent which resulted in the creation of Inimex Pharmaceuticals. Recently Inimex has announced that they have successfully passed Phase I clinical trial for their IDR (Immune Defence Regulator), a new class of anti-infective drugs. Read the press release here.

The Bowdish lab has an ongoing interest in developing novel anti-infective agents.