METHODS FOR PREVENTING OR TREATING INFECTIOUS DISEASES CAUSED BY EXTRACELLULAR MICROORGANISMS, INCLUDING ANTIMICROBIAL-RESISTANT STRAINS THEREOF, USING GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
The present invention relates to methods for preventing or treating infectious diseases caused by extracellular microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, by systemically administering to a patient a compound containing gallium. The extracellular microorganisms targeted by the present methods include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), E. coli O157:H7, fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella typhi, and the like. Furthermore, in the present methods, gallium compounds can be co-administered with one or more conventional antimicrobial agents to treat infectious diseases with reduced risks of creating multi-drug resistant pathogens. The methods of the present invention is also applicable to those microorganisms, such as ulcer-causing Helicobacter pylori, complete eradication of which so far has been difficult to achieve.
