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July 6, 2017 at 10:32 am

Chemistry Alum’s Company Attacks ‘BioFilm’ Problem

Dr. Joseph Kittle

Dr. Joseph Kittle

Tech Ohio writes about ProclaRx, an Innovation Center client based in Athens, Ohio, and with an Ohio University alum as its CEO in an article headlined “ProclaRx Breaks Down Walls to Beat Bacteria.”

Dr. Joseph D. Kittle, CEO of ProclaRx, earned a B.S. in Chemistry through the Honors Tutorial College.

Chances are you’ve developed a bacterial infection at some point in your life, were prescribed standard antibiotics, and quickly returned to normal health. But it’s not always that easy. Bacteria generate a protective hideout called a biofilm that acts as a shield against antibiotics, allowing them to better survive and persist in the body. These biofilms have continued to baffle the medical community, but ProclaRx in Athens, Ohio, is solving the riddle.

“Pathogenic bacteria build biofilms around themselves to stay protected from the human immune system. They also keep out antibiotic treatments and render them far less effective,” said Dr. Joseph D. Kittle, CEO of ProclaRx. “You’ll see patients be treated with an antibiotic, seemingly regain their health, and then a few weeks later, they’re sick again. Biofilms are pesky and a problem we want to solve for patients. We call ourselves the anti-biofilm company.”

Read the rest of the article at Tech Ohio.

 

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