1
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Niu H, Gu J, Zhang Y. Bacterial persisters: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic development. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:174. [PMID: 39013893 PMCID: PMC11252167 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01866-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Persisters refer to genetically drug susceptible quiescent (non-growing or slow growing) bacteria that survive in stress environments such as antibiotic exposure, acidic and starvation conditions. These cells can regrow after stress removal and remain susceptible to the same stress. Persisters are underlying the problems of treating chronic and persistent infections and relapse infections after treatment, drug resistance development, and biofilm infections, and pose significant challenges for effective treatments. Understanding the characteristics and the exact mechanisms of persister formation, especially the key molecules that affect the formation and survival of the persisters is critical to more effective treatment of chronic and persistent infections. Currently, genes related to persister formation and survival are being discovered and confirmed, but the mechanisms by which bacteria form persisters are very complex, and there are still many unanswered questions. This article comprehensively summarizes the historical background of bacterial persisters, details their complex characteristics and their relationship with antibiotic tolerant and resistant bacteria, systematically elucidates the interplay between various bacterial biological processes and the formation of persister cells, as well as consolidates the diverse anti-persister compounds and treatments. We hope to provide theoretical background for in-depth research on mechanisms of persisters and suggest new ideas for choosing strategies for more effective treatment of persistent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Niu
- School of Basic Medical Science and Key Laboratory of Blood-stasis-toxin Syndrome of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiaying Gu
- School of Basic Medical Science and Key Laboratory of Blood-stasis-toxin Syndrome of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
- Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan, 250022, Shandong, China.
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2
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Paul S, Verma S, Chen YC. Peptide Dendrimer-Based Antibacterial Agents: Synthesis and Applications. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:1034-1055. [PMID: 38428037 PMCID: PMC11019562 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria cause the deaths of millions of people every year. With the development of antibiotics, hundreds and thousands of people's lives have been saved. Nevertheless, bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics, rendering them insensitive to antibiotics over time. Peptides containing specific amino acids can be used as antibacterial agents; however, they can be easily degraded by proteases in vivo. To address these issues, branched peptide dendrimers are now being considered as good antibacterial agents due to their high efficacy, resistance to protease degradation, and low cytotoxicity. The ease with which peptide dendrimers can be synthesized and modified makes them accessible for use in various biological and nonbiological fields. That is, peptide dendrimers hold a promising future as antibacterial agents with prolonged efficacy without bacterial resistance development. Their in vivo stability and multivalence allow them to effectively target multi-drug-resistant strains and prevent biofilm formation. Thus, it is interesting to have an overview of the development and applications of peptide dendrimers in antibacterial research, including the possibility of employing machine learning approaches for the design of AMPs and dendrimers. This review summarizes the synthesis and applications of peptide dendrimers as antibacterial agents. The challenges and perspectives of using peptide dendrimers as the antibacterial agents are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchita Paul
- Institute
of Semiconductor Technology, National Yang
Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sandeep Verma
- Department
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Gangwal
School of Medical Sciences and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Yu-Chie Chen
- Institute
of Semiconductor Technology, National Yang
Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department
of Applied Chemistry, National Yang Ming
Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
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3
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Diogo P, Amparo F Faustino M, Palma PJ, Rai A, Graça P M S Neves M, Miguel Santos J. May carriers at nanoscale improve the Endodontic's future? Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 195:114731. [PMID: 36787865 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Nanocarriers (NCs) are dynamic nanovehicles used to transport bioactive derivatives like therapeutical formulations, drugs and/or dyes. The current review assists in understanding the mechanism of action of several recent developed NCs with antimicrobial purposes. Here, nine NCs varieties are portrayed with focus on nineteen approaches that are fulfil described based on outcomes obtained from in vitro antimicrobial assays. All approaches have previously been verified and we underline the biochemical challenges of all NCs, expecting that the present data may encourage the application of NCs in endodontic antimicrobial basic research. Methodological limitations and the evident base gaps made not possible to draw a definite conclusion about the best NCs for achieving efficient antimicrobial outcomes in endodontic studies. Due to the lack of pre-clinical trials and the scarce number of clinical trials in this emergent area, there is still much room for improvement on several fronts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Diogo
- Institute of Endodontics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovation and Research in Oral Sciences (CIROS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - M Amparo F Faustino
- LAQV-REQUIMTE and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Paulo J Palma
- Institute of Endodontics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovation and Research in Oral Sciences (CIROS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Akhilesh Rai
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - João Miguel Santos
- Institute of Endodontics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovation and Research in Oral Sciences (CIROS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR) and Center of Investigation on Environment Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine and Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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4
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Peptides to Overcome the Limitations of Current Anticancer and Antimicrobial Nanotherapies. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14061235. [PMID: 35745807 PMCID: PMC9230615 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14061235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomedical research devotes a huge effort to the development of efficient non-viral nanovectors (NV) to improve the effectiveness of standard therapies. NVs should be stable, sustainable and biocompatible and enable controlled and targeted delivery of drugs. With the aim to foster the advancements of such devices, this review reports some recent results applicable to treat two types of pathologies, cancer and microbial infections, aiming to provide guidance in the overall design of personalized nanomedicines and highlight the key role played by peptides in this field. Additionally, future challenges and potential perspectives are illustrated, in the hope of accelerating the translational advances of nanomedicine.
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5
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Xu L, She P, Liu Y, Liu S, Li Z, Li Y, Hussain Z, Wu Y. A novel bactericidal small molecule, STK-35, and its derivative, STK-66, as antibacterial agents against Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria in vitro and in vivo. Lett Appl Microbiol 2022; 75:655-666. [PMID: 35218030 DOI: 10.1111/lam.13682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Due to the increasing rate of antibiotic resistance and the emergence of persister cells of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, the development of new antibacterial agents is urgently needed to deal with this problem. Our results indicated that both newly identified small molecule STK-35 and its derivative STK-66 exhibited effective antibacterial properties against a variety of Gram-negative pathogens including A. baumannii, E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) ranges were 0.0625-8 μg mL-1 and 0.125-16 μg mL-1 respectively, while no hemolytic activity and mammalian cell cytotoxicity were observed. The time-killing assays showed STK-35/66 had strong bactericidal activity against Gram-negative pathogens. STK-35/66 also showed different degrees of synergistic antibacterial activity with conventional antibiotics and exhibited persister cells killing activity. Moreover, STK-35/66 effectively eradicated the pre-formed biofilms of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii. In addition, STK-35/66 significantly increased the survival rate of E. coli infected mice and induced a decrease in bacterial load of the peritonitis model. In nutshell, these results suggested that STK-35/66 possessed antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria in vitro and in vivo, which could be considered as potential substitutes for the treatment of Gram-negative pathogenic infections after further structure optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanlan Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Pengfei She
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Yaqian Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Shasha Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Zehao Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Yimin Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Zubair Hussain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Yong Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
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6
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Matthyssen T, Li W, Holden JA, Lenzo JC, Hadjigol S, O’Brien-Simpson NM. The Potential of Modified and Multimeric Antimicrobial Peptide Materials as Superbug Killers. Front Chem 2022; 9:795433. [PMID: 35083194 PMCID: PMC8785218 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.795433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found in nearly all living organisms, show broad spectrum antibacterial activity, and can modulate the immune system. Furthermore, they have a very low level of resistance induction in bacteria, which makes them an ideal target for drug development and for targeting multi-drug resistant bacteria 'Superbugs'. Despite this promise, AMP therapeutic use is hampered as typically they are toxic to mammalian cells, less active under physiological conditions and are susceptible to proteolytic degradation. Research has focused on addressing these limitations by modifying natural AMP sequences by including e.g., d-amino acids and N-terminal and amino acid side chain modifications to alter structure, hydrophobicity, amphipathicity, and charge of the AMP to improve antimicrobial activity and specificity and at the same time reduce mammalian cell toxicity. Recently, multimerisation (dimers, oligomer conjugates, dendrimers, polymers and self-assembly) of natural and modified AMPs has further been used to address these limitations and has created compounds that have improved activity and biocompatibility compared to their linear counterparts. This review investigates how modifying and multimerising AMPs impacts their activity against bacteria in planktonic and biofilm states of growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Matthyssen
- ACTV Research Group, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Dental School, Centre for Oral Health Research, Royal Dental Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wenyi Li
- ACTV Research Group, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Dental School, Centre for Oral Health Research, Royal Dental Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - James A. Holden
- Centre for Oral Health Research, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Dental School, Royal Dental Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jason C. Lenzo
- Centre for Oral Health Research, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Dental School, Royal Dental Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sara Hadjigol
- ACTV Research Group, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Dental School, Centre for Oral Health Research, Royal Dental Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Neil M. O’Brien-Simpson
- ACTV Research Group, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Dental School, Centre for Oral Health Research, Royal Dental Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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7
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New Auranofin Analogs with Antibacterial Properties against Burkholderia Clinical Isolates. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10121443. [PMID: 34943654 PMCID: PMC8697972 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10121443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Burkholderia include pathogenic Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei and the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). These Gram-negative pathogens have intrinsic drug resistance, which makes treatment of infections difficult. Bcc affects individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and the species B. cenocepacia is associated with one of the worst clinical outcomes. Following the repurposing of auranofin as an antibacterial against Gram-positive bacteria, we previously synthetized auranofin analogs with activity against Gram-negatives. In this work, we show that two auranofin analogs, MS-40S and MS-40, have antibiotic activity against Burkholderia clinical isolates. The compounds are bactericidal against B. cenocepacia and kill stationary-phase cells and persisters without selecting for multistep resistance. Caenorhabditis elegans and Galleria mellonella tolerated high concentrations of MS-40S and MS-40, demonstrating that these compounds have low toxicity in these model organisms. In summary, we show that MS-40 and MS-40S have antimicrobial properties that warrant further investigations to determine their therapeutic potential against Burkholderia infections.
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8
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New Auranofin Analogs with Antibacterial Properties against Burkholderia Clinical Isolates. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021. [PMID: 34943654 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10121443/s1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Burkholderia include pathogenic Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei and the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). These Gram-negative pathogens have intrinsic drug resistance, which makes treatment of infections difficult. Bcc affects individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and the species B. cenocepacia is associated with one of the worst clinical outcomes. Following the repurposing of auranofin as an antibacterial against Gram-positive bacteria, we previously synthetized auranofin analogs with activity against Gram-negatives. In this work, we show that two auranofin analogs, MS-40S and MS-40, have antibiotic activity against Burkholderia clinical isolates. The compounds are bactericidal against B. cenocepacia and kill stationary-phase cells and persisters without selecting for multistep resistance. Caenorhabditis elegans and Galleria mellonella tolerated high concentrations of MS-40S and MS-40, demonstrating that these compounds have low toxicity in these model organisms. In summary, we show that MS-40 and MS-40S have antimicrobial properties that warrant further investigations to determine their therapeutic potential against Burkholderia infections.
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9
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10
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Falanga A, Del Genio V, Galdiero S. Peptides and Dendrimers: How to Combat Viral and Bacterial Infections. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:101. [PMID: 33466852 PMCID: PMC7830367 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13010101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The alarming growth of antimicrobial resistance and recent viral pandemic events have enhanced the need for novel approaches through innovative agents that are mainly able to attach to the external layers of bacteria and viruses, causing permanent damage. Antimicrobial molecules are potent broad-spectrum agents with a high potential as novel therapeutics. In this context, antimicrobial peptides, cell penetrating peptides, and antiviral peptides play a major role, and have been suggested as promising solutions. Furthermore, dendrimers are to be considered as suitable macromolecules for the development of advanced nanosystems that are able to complement the typical properties of dendrimers with those of peptides. This review focuses on the description of nanoplatforms constructed with peptides and dendrimers, and their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annarita Falanga
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via dell’Università 100, 80100 Portici, Italy
| | - Valentina Del Genio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy;
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11
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Alfei S, Schito AM. From Nanobiotechnology, Positively Charged Biomimetic Dendrimers as Novel Antibacterial Agents: A Review. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 10:E2022. [PMID: 33066468 PMCID: PMC7602242 DOI: 10.3390/nano10102022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance, based on the built-in abilities of bacteria to nullify the activity of current antibiotics, leaves a growing number of bacterial infections untreatable. An appealing approach, advanced in recent decades, concerns the development of novel agents able to interact with the external layers of bacteria, causing irreparable damage. Regarding this, some natural cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) have been reconsidered, and synthetic cationic polymers, mimicking CAMPs and able to kill bacteria by non-specific detrimental interaction with the negative bacterial membranes, have been proposed as promising solutions. Lately, also dendrimers were considered suitable macromolecules for the preparation of more advanced cationic biomimetic nanoparticles, able to harmonize the typical properties of dendrimers, including nanosize, mono-dispersion, long-term stability, high functionality, and the non-specific mechanism of action of CAMPs. Although cationic dendrimers are extensively applied in nanomedicine for drug or gene delivery, their application as antimicrobial agents is still in its infancy. The state of the art of their potential applications in this important field has therefore been reviewed here, with particular attention to the innovative case studies in the literature including also amino acid-modified polyester-based dendrimers, practically unexplored as membrane-active antimicrobials and able to kill bacteria on contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Alfei
- Department of Pharmacy (DiFAR), University of Genoa, Viale Cembrano 4, I-16148 Genova, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Schito
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 6, I-16132 Genova, Italy;
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12
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Khan F, Pham DTN, Tabassum N, Oloketuyi SF, Kim YM. Treatment strategies targeting persister cell formation in bacterial pathogens. Crit Rev Microbiol 2020; 46:665-688. [DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2020.1822278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fazlurrahman Khan
- Institute of Food Science, Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea
| | - Dung Thuy Nguyen Pham
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea
| | - Nazia Tabassum
- Industrial Convergence Bionix Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea
| | | | - Young-Mog Kim
- Institute of Food Science, Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea
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13
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Mercer DK, Torres MDT, Duay SS, Lovie E, Simpson L, von Köckritz-Blickwede M, de la Fuente-Nunez C, O'Neil DA, Angeles-Boza AM. Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Antimicrobial Peptides to Better Predict Efficacy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:326. [PMID: 32733816 PMCID: PMC7358464 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During the development of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) as potential therapeutics, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) stands as an essential part of the process in identification and optimisation of candidate AMP. Standard methods for AST, developed almost 60 years ago for testing conventional antibiotics, are not necessarily fit for purpose when it comes to determining the susceptibility of microorganisms to AMP. Without careful consideration of the parameters comprising AST there is a risk of failing to identify novel antimicrobials at a time when antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is leading the planet toward a post-antibiotic era. More physiologically/clinically relevant AST will allow better determination of the preclinical activity of drug candidates and allow the identification of lead compounds. An important consideration is the efficacy of AMP in biological matrices replicating sites of infection, e.g., blood/plasma/serum, lung bronchiolar lavage fluid/sputum, urine, biofilms, etc., as this will likely be more predictive of clinical efficacy. Additionally, specific AST for different target microorganisms may help to better predict efficacy of AMP in specific infections. In this manuscript, we describe what we believe are the key considerations for AST of AMP and hope that this information can better guide the preclinical development of AMP toward becoming a new generation of urgently needed antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcelo D. T. Torres
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Institute for Computational Science, and Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Searle S. Duay
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Emma Lovie
- NovaBiotics Ltd, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Institute for Computational Science, and Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Alfredo M. Angeles-Boza
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
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14
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Gollan B, Grabe G, Michaux C, Helaine S. Bacterial Persisters and Infection: Past, Present, and Progressing. Annu Rev Microbiol 2020; 73:359-385. [PMID: 31500532 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-020518-115650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Persisters are nongrowing, transiently antibiotic-tolerant bacteria within a clonal population of otherwise susceptible cells. Their formation is triggered by environmental cues and involves the main bacterial stress response pathways that allow persisters to survive many harsh conditions, including antibiotic exposure. During infection, bacterial pathogens are exposed to a vast array of stresses in the host and form nongrowing persisters that survive both antibiotics and host immune responses, thereby most likely contributing to the relapse of many infections. While antibiotic persisters have been extensively studied over the last decade, the bulk of the work has focused on how these bacteria survive exposure to drugs in vitro. The ability of persisters to survive their interaction with a host is important yet underinvestigated. In order to tackle the problem of persistence of infections that contribute to the worldwide antibiotic resistance crisis, efforts should be made by scientific communities to understand and merge these two fields of research: antibiotic persisters and host-pathogen interactions. Here we give an overview of the history of the field of antibiotic persistence, report evidence for the importance of persisters in infection, and highlight studies that bridge the two areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Gollan
- Section of Microbiology, Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom; , , ,
| | - Grzegorz Grabe
- Section of Microbiology, Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom; , , ,
| | - Charlotte Michaux
- Section of Microbiology, Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom; , , ,
| | - Sophie Helaine
- Section of Microbiology, Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom; , , ,
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15
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Bacterial Heterogeneity and Antibiotic Survival: Understanding and Combatting Persistence and Heteroresistance. Mol Cell 2019; 76:255-267. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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16
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Sulaiman JE, Hao C, Lam H. Specific Enrichment and Proteomics Analysis of Escherichia coli Persisters from Rifampin Pretreatment. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:3984-3996. [PMID: 30336045 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial persisters, a dormant and multidrug tolerant subpopulation that are able to resuscitate after antibiotic treatment, have recently received considerable attention as a major cause of relapse of various infectious diseases in the clinic. However, because of their low abundance and inherent transience, it is extremely difficult to study them by proteomics. Here we developed a magnetic-beads-based separation approach to enrich Escherichia coli persisters and then subjected them to shotgun proteomics. Rifampin pretreatment was employed to increase persister formation, and the resulting cells were exposed to a high concentration of ampicillin (10× MIC) to remove nonpersisters. The survivors were analyzed by spectral counting-based quantitative proteomics. On average, 710 proteins were identified at a false discovery rate of 0.01 for enriched E. coli persisters. By spectral counting-based quantification, 105 proteins (70 down-regulated, 35 up-regulated) were shown to be differentially expressed compared with normal cells. A comparison of the differentially expressed proteins between the magnetic beads-enriched persisters and nonenriched persisters (a mixture of persisters and intact dead cells) shows only around half (∼58%) overlap and different protein-protein interaction networks. This suggest that persister enrichment is important to eliminate the cumulative effect of dead cells that will obscure the proteome of persisters. As expected, proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, fatty acid and amino acid biosynthesis, and bacterial chemotaxis were found to be down-regulated in the persisters. Interestingly, membrane proteins including some transport proteins were up-regulated, indicating that they might be important for the drug tolerance of persisters. Knockout of the pal gene expressing peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein, one of the most up-regulated proteins detected in persisters, led to 10-fold reduced persister formation under ampicillin treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordy Evan Sulaiman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon , Hong Kong
| | - Chunlin Hao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon , Hong Kong
| | - Henry Lam
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology , Clear Water Bay , Kowloon , Hong Kong
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17
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Fighting bacterial persistence: Current and emerging anti-persister strategies and therapeutics. Drug Resist Updat 2018; 38:12-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2018.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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18
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Function Oriented Molecular Design: Dendrimers as Novel Antimicrobials. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22101581. [PMID: 28934169 PMCID: PMC6151464 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22101581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years innovative nanostructures are attracting increasing interest and, among them, dendrimers have shown several fields of application. Dendrimers can be designed and modified in plentiful ways giving rise to hundreds of different molecules with specific characteristics and functionalities. Biomedicine is probably the field where these molecules find extraordinary applicability, and this is probably due to their multi-valency and to the fact that several other chemicals can be coupled to them to obtain desired compounds. In this review we will describe the different production strategies and the tools and technologies for the study of their characteristics. Finally, we provide a panoramic overview of their applications to meet biomedical needs, especially their use as novel antimicrobials.
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19
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Antimicrobial Dendrimeric Peptides: Structure, Activity and New Therapeutic Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18030542. [PMID: 28273806 PMCID: PMC5372558 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18030542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial resistance to conventional antibiotics is one of the most outstanding medical and scientific challenges of our times. Despite the recognised need for new anti-infective agents, however, very few new drugs have been brought to the market and to the clinic in the last three decades. This review highlights the properties of a new class of antibiotics, namely dendrimeric peptides. These intriguing novel compounds, generally made of multiple peptidic sequences linked to an inner branched core, display an array of antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activities, usually coupled to low haemolytic activity. In addition, several peptides synthesized in oligobranched form proved to be promising tools for the selective treatment of cancer cells.
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20
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Van den Bergh B, Fauvart M, Michiels J. Formation, physiology, ecology, evolution and clinical importance of bacterial persisters. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2017; 41:219-251. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fux001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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21
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de Gier MG, Bauke Albada H, Josten M, Willems R, Leavis H, van Mansveld R, Paganelli FL, Dekker B, Lammers JWJ, Sahl HG, Metzler-Nolte N. Synergistic activity of a short lipidated antimicrobial peptide (lipoAMP) and colistin or tobramycin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa from cystic fibrosis patients. MEDCHEMCOMM 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c5md00373c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Synergistic effects between a lipoAMP and colistin against clinical P. aeruginosa strains isolated from cystic fibrosis patients are described.
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22
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In Vitro Activity of the Novel Antimicrobial Peptide Dendrimer G3KL against Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 59:7915-8. [PMID: 26459893 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01853-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The in vitro activity of the novel antimicrobial peptide dendrimer G3KL was evaluated against 32 Acinetobacter baumannii (including 10 OXA-23, 7 OXA-24, and 11 OXA-58 carbapenemase producers) and 35 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (including 18 VIM and 3 IMP carbapenemase producers) strains and compared to the activities of standard antibiotics. Overall, both species collections showed MIC50/90 values of 8/8 μg/ml and minimum bactericidal concentrations at which 50% or 90% of strains tested are killed (MBC50/90) of 8/8 μg/ml. G3KL is a promising molecule with antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa isolates.
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23
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Bahar AA, Liu Z, Garafalo M, Kallenbach N, Ren D. Controlling Persister and Biofilm Cells of Gram-Negative Bacteria with a New 1,3,5-Triazine Derivative. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2015; 8:696-710. [PMID: 26473884 PMCID: PMC4695806 DOI: 10.3390/ph8040696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria have been on the rise. This important issue presents a great challenge to the healthcare system and creates an urgent need for alternative therapeutic agents. As a potential solution to this problem, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted increasing attention due to their broad spectrum of targeted microbes. However, most AMPs are expensive to synthesize, have relatively high cytotoxicity to mammalian cells, and are susceptible to proteolytic degradation. In order to overcome these limitations, novel synthetic AMPs are desired. Using 1,3,5-triazine (TN) as a template, several combinatorial libraries with varying cationic charge and lipophilicity were designed and screened by the Kallenbach lab. From this screening, TN-5 was identified as a potent lead. In the present study, this compound was tested for its antimicrobial activities on Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition to regular planktonic cells, the effects on biofilms and persister cells (metabolically inactive and antibiotic tolerant subpopulation) were also investigated. TN-5 was found to have a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.8 μM for both species and kill regular planktonic cells of both species dose dependently. TN-5 is also effective against persister cells of both E. coli and P. aeruginosa. The killing of biofilm cells of the mucoid P. aeruginosa PDO300 was enhanced by alginate lyase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Adem Bahar
- Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
- Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
| | - Zhigang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Meagan Garafalo
- Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
- Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
| | | | - Dacheng Ren
- Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
- Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
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