The Master of Science Seminar and Examination of Babatomiwa Kikiowo

Biography

Kikiowo is a member of Seleem's lab, focusing on identifying novel therapeutics for treating gonococcal infections. His research involves both in vitro (laboratory-based) and in vivo (animal model) approaches. Kikiowo earned his bachelor’s degree in Nigeria, where he developed a strong interest in drug discovery. He then joined Virginia Tech to further his interest in antimicrobial drug discovery.

Funded by

• The Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens (CeZAP), Virginia Tech.
• VMCVM Office of Research and Graduate Studies

Awards and Academic Achievements

Department of Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences Travel Grant Award  

Lay Language Abstract 

Gonorrhea, caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is becoming increasingly difficult to treat because the bacteria has progressively developed resistance to antibiotics. This makes it challenging to find effective treatments and can lead to serious health issues like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility if left untreated. The rise in antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea highlights the urgent need for new medications.

N. gonorrhoeae FA1090 is used in the mouse model of gonococcal infection due to its streptomycin resistance, which allows colonization. However, it is unsuitable for testing novel agents against multidrug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae due to its antibiotic susceptibility. To address this, new strains of N. gonorrhoeae that are resistant to the antibiotic streptomycin were developed, which could be utilized to test the efficacy of potential novel treatments in the mouse model. These strains were able to successfully colonize the genital tracts of the mice, making them valuable models for studying new drugs. In addition to creating these new bacterial strains, nitroxoline, an FDA-approved drug, was identified as a potential therapeutic. Nitroxoline was effective against many strains of N. gonorrhoeae, including those resistant to the commonly used antibiotic ceftriaxone. It killed the bacteria within 12 hours and did not lead to the development of resistant mutants. Nitroxoline was also able to gain access into the human endocervical cells and clear the bacterial burden inside, while having minimal impact on the beneficial vaginal bacteria. Its effectiveness is mediated by to its ability to bind with metal ions. In conclusion, the development of these new bacterial strains and the discovery of nitroxoline as a promising treatment represent significant progress in the fight against drug-resistant gonorrhea. These findings offer hope for new, effective treatments in an era of increasing antibiotic resistance.

Publications

Kikiowo B, Bandara AB, Abutaleb NS, Seleem MN. Colonization efficiency of multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a female mouse model. Pathogens and Disease. 2023;81:ftad030. 

Presentations

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  •               Poster Presentation: Kikiowo B, Abutaleb NS and Seleem MN. 2024. Repurposing Nitroxoline as a Potent Anti-Gonococcal Therapeutic. 2024 ASM Microbe, June 13^th – 17^th,Atlanta, GA.

  •               Poster Presentation: Kikiowo B, Abutaleb NS and Seleem MN. 2024. Nitroxoline: a promising candidate for treating gonococcal infections. 33rd Annual BMVS Graduate Research Symposium, March 18th, 2024, Blacksburg, VA. 

  •               Poster Presentation: B. Kikiowo, A. B. Bandara, N. S. Abutaleb, M. N. Seleem. 2023. In vitro and in vivo characterization of streptomycin-resistant mutant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. April 14th, 2023, The Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery 2023 symposium. 

  •               Poster Presentation: Kikiowo B, Aloka BB, Abutaleb NS and Seleem MN. 2023. Colonization efficiency of novel drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae mutants in a gonococcal infection mouse model. 2023 GPSS Research Symposium, March 29th, 2023, Graduate Life Center Virginia Tech. 

  •               Poster Presentation: Kikiowo B, Aloka BB, Abutaleb NS and Seleem MN. 2023. Construction of novel antibiotic-resistant mutants of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains suitable for mouse vaginal infection model. 32nd Annual BMVS Graduate Research Symposium, March 14th, 2023, Blacksburg, VA. 

  •               Poster Presentation: Kikiowo B, Aloka BB, Abutaleb NS and Seleem MN. 2023. Creation and infectious dose determination of streptomycin-resistant mutants of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains: A mouse model study. 2023 VCOM Research Recognition Day, February 24th, 2023.

  •               Poster Presentation: Kikiowo B, Aloka BB, Abutaleb SN and Seleem MN. 2022. Construction of ceftriaxone-resistant and azithromycin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains suitable for mouse studies. CeZAP Infectious Disease Symposium, Virginia Tech. October 7th, 2022. 

   

Examination Graduate Committee

Major Advisor/Chair:

Dr. Mohamed Seleem
Director- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Tech
Department of Biomedical and Pathobiology

Graduate Advising Committee Members:

Dr. Andrew Lowell
Department of Chemistry

Dr. Emily Mevers
Department of Chemistry

Dr. Zhaomin Yang
Department of Biological Sciences