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Metzler AD, Tang H. Zika Virus Neuropathogenesis-Research and Understanding. Pathogens 2024; 13:555. [PMID: 39057782 PMCID: PMC11279898 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13070555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is prominently associated with microcephaly in babies born to infected mothers as well as Guillain-Barré Syndrome in adults. Each cell type infected by ZIKV-neuronal cells (radial glial cells, neuronal progenitor cells, astrocytes, microglia cells, and glioblastoma stem cells) and non-neuronal cells (primary fibroblasts, epidermal keratinocytes, dendritic cells, monocytes, macrophages, and Sertoli cells)-displays its own characteristic changes to their cell physiology and has various impacts on disease. Here, we provide an in-depth review of the ZIKV life cycle and its cellular targets, and discuss the current knowledge of how infections cause neuropathologies, as well as what approaches researchers are currently taking to further advance such knowledge. A key aspect of ZIKV neuropathogenesis is virus-induced neuronal apoptosis via numerous mechanisms including cell cycle dysregulation, mitochondrial fragmentation, ER stress, and the unfolded protein response. These, in turn, result in the activation of p53-mediated intrinsic cell death pathways. A full spectrum of infection models including stem cells and co-cultures, transwells to simulate blood-tissue barriers, brain-region-specific organoids, and animal models have been developed for ZIKV research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hengli Tang
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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Guerra MES, Vieira B, Calazans APCT, Destro GV, Melo K, Rodrigues E, Waz NT, Girardello R, Darrieux M, Converso TR. Recent advances in the therapeutic potential of cathelicidins. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1405760. [PMID: 38989014 PMCID: PMC11233757 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1405760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance in the last decades has prompted the search for alternatives to control infectious diseases. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a heterogeneous class of molecules with ample antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects. They can be found in many organisms, including all classes of vertebrates, providing a valuable source of new antimicrobial agents. The unique properties of AMPs make it harder for microbes develop resistance, while their immunomodulatory properties and target diversity reinforce their translational use in multiple diseases, from autoimmune disorders to different types of cancer. The latest years have witnessed a vast number of studies evaluating the use of AMPs in therapy, with many progressing to clinical trials. The present review explores the recent developments in the medicinal properties of cathelicidins, a vast family of AMPs with potent antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. Cathelicidins from several organisms have been tested in disease models of viral and bacterial infections, inflammatory diseases, and tumors, with encouraging results. Combining nanomaterials with active, natural antimicrobial peptides, including LL-37 and synthetic analogs like ceragenins, leads to the creation of innovative nanoagents with significant clinical promise. However, there are still important limitations, such as the toxicity of many cathelicidins to healthy host cells and low stability in vivo. The recent advances in nanomaterials and synthetic biology may help overcome the current limitations, enabling the use of cathelicidins in future therapeutics. Furthermore, a better understanding of the mechanisms of cathelicidin action in vivo and their synergy with other host molecules will contribute to the development of safer, highly effective therapies.
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Wang C, Li M, Xia X, Fu Y, Wang Y, Xu W, Wei H, Wei L. Construction of exosome-loaded LL-37 and its protection against zika virus infection. Antiviral Res 2024; 225:105855. [PMID: 38460762 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an enveloped, single-stranded and positive-stranded RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus in the family Flaviviridae. ZIKV can cross the placental barrier and infect the fetus, causing microcephaly, congenital ZIKV syndrome, and even fetal death. ZIKV infection can also lead to testicular damage and male sterility. But no effective drugs and vaccines are available up to now. Previous studies have shown that the cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL-37 can protect against ZIKV infection. However, LL-37 is a secreted peptide, which can be easily degraded in vivo. We herein constructed exosome-loaded LL-37 (named LL-37-TM-exo and TM-LL-37-exo) using the transmembrane protein TM to load LL-37 onto the membrane of exosome. We found that exosome-loaded LL-37 could significantly inhibit ZIKV infection in vitro and in vivo, and LL-37-TM-exo had stronger antiviral activity than that of TM-LL-37-exo, which could significantly reduce ZIKV-induced testicular injury and sperm injury, and had broad-spectrum antiviral effect. Compared to free LL-37, exosome-loaded LL-37 showed a better serum stability, higher efficiency to cross the placental barrier, and stronger antiviral activity. The mechanism of exosome-loaded LL-37 against ZIKV infection was consistent with that of free LL-37, which could directly inactivate viral particles, reduce the susceptibility of host cells, and act on viral replication stage. Our study provides a novel strategy for the development of LL-37 against viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Min Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Xiaohui Xia
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Yuxuan Fu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Hongqi Wei
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China.
| | - Lin Wei
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China; School of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, China.
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Loffredo MR, Nencioni L, Mangoni ML, Casciaro B. Antimicrobial peptides for novel antiviral strategies in the current post-COVID-19 pandemic. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3534. [PMID: 37501572 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The recent pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has highlighted how urgent and necessary the discovery of new antiviral compounds is for novel therapeutic approaches. Among the various classes of molecules with antiviral activity, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of innate immunity are among the most promising ones, mainly due to their different mechanisms of action against viruses and additional biological properties. In this review, the main physicochemical characteristics of AMPs are described, with particular interest toward peptides derived from amphibian skin. Living in aquatic and terrestrial environments, amphibians are one of the richest sources of AMPs with different primary and secondary structures. Besides describing the various antiviral activities of these peptides and the underlying mechanism, this review aims at emphasizing the high potential of these small molecules for the development of new antiviral agents that likely reduce the selection of resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rosa Loffredo
- Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Nencioni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Casciaro
- Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi Fanelli", Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Bakare OO, Gokul A, Niekerk LA, Aina O, Abiona A, Barker AM, Basson G, Nkomo M, Otomo L, Keyster M, Klein A. Recent Progress in the Characterization, Synthesis, Delivery Procedures, Treatment Strategies, and Precision of Antimicrobial Peptides. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11864. [PMID: 37511621 PMCID: PMC10380191 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases are constantly evolving to bypass antibiotics or create resistance against them. There is a piercing alarm for the need to improve the design of new effective antimicrobial agents such as antimicrobial peptides which are less prone to resistance and possess high sensitivity. This would guard public health in combating and overcoming stubborn pathogens and mitigate incurable diseases; however, the emergence of antimicrobial peptides' shortcomings ranging from untimely degradation by enzymes to difficulty in the design against specific targets is a major bottleneck in achieving these objectives. This review is aimed at highlighting the recent progress in antimicrobial peptide development in the area of nanotechnology-based delivery, selectivity indices, synthesis and characterization, their doping and coating, and the shortfall of these approaches. This review will raise awareness of antimicrobial peptides as prospective therapeutic agents in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, such as the sensitive treatment of diseases and their utilization. The knowledge from this development would guide the future design of these novel peptides and allow the development of highly specific, sensitive, and accurate antimicrobial peptides to initiate treatment regimens in patients to enable them to have accommodating lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olalekan Olanrewaju Bakare
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu 2002, Nigeria
| | - Arun Gokul
- Department of Plant Sciences, Qwaqwa Campus, University of the Free State, Phuthadithjaba 9866, South Africa
| | - Lee-Ann Niekerk
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Omolola Aina
- Plant Omics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Ademola Abiona
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu 2002, Nigeria
| | - Adele Mariska Barker
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Gerhard Basson
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Mbukeni Nkomo
- Department of Botany, H13 Botany Building, University of Zululand, Private Bag X1001, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa
| | - Laetitia Otomo
- Department of Plant Sciences, Qwaqwa Campus, University of the Free State, Phuthadithjaba 9866, South Africa
| | - Marshall Keyster
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
| | - Ashwil Klein
- Plant Omics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa
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Urmi UL, Vijay AK, Kuppusamy R, Islam S, Willcox MDP. A Review of the Antiviral Activity of Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides. Peptides 2023; 166:171024. [PMID: 37172781 PMCID: PMC10170872 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.171024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Viral epidemics are occurring frequently, and the COVID-19 viral pandemic has resulted in at least 6.5 million deaths worldwide. Although antiviral therapeutics are available, these may not have sufficient effect. The emergence of resistant or novel viruses requires new therapies. Cationic antimicrobial peptides are agents of the innate immune system that may offer a promising solution to viral infections. These peptides are gaining attention as possible therapies for viral infections or for use as prophylactic agents to prevent viral spread. This narrative review examines antiviral peptides, their structural features, and mechanism of activity. A total of 156 cationic antiviral peptides were examined for information of their mechanism of action against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. Antiviral peptides can be isolated from various natural sources or can be generated synthetically. The latter tend to be more specific and effective and can be made to have a broad spectrum of activity with minimal side effects. Their unique properties of being positively charges and amphipathic enable their main mode of action which is to target and disrupt viral lipid envelopes, thereby inhibiting viral entry and replication. This review offers a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of antiviral peptides, which could potentially aid in the design and creation of novel antiviral medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umme Laila Urmi
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Ajay Kumar Vijay
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Rajesh Kuppusamy
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Salequl Islam
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342, Bangladesh.
| | - Mark D P Willcox
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Fernandez GJ, Ramírez-Mejía JM, Castillo JA, Urcuqui-Inchima S. Vitamin D modulates expression of antimicrobial peptides and proinflammatory cytokines to restrict Zika virus infection in macrophages. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 119:110232. [PMID: 37150017 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Although the impact of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection on human health has been well documented, we still have no vaccine or effective treatment. This fact highlights the importance of searching for alternative therapy for treating ZIKV. To search for ZIKV antivirals, we examined the effect of vitamin D in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) differentiated in the presence of vitamin D (D3-MDM) and explored the molecular mechanisms by analyzing transcriptional profiles. Our data show the restriction of ZIKV infection in D3-MDMs as compared to MDMs. Transcriptional profiles show that vitamin D alters about 19% of Zika response genes (8.2% diminished and 10.8% potentiated). Among the genes with diminished expression levels, we found proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as IL6, TNF, IL1A, IL1B, and IL12B, CCL1, CCL4, CCL7, CXCL3, CXCL6, and CXCL8. On the other hand, genes with potentiated expression were related to degranulation such as Lysozyme, cathelicidin (CAMP), and Serglycin. Since the CAMP gene encodes the antimicrobial peptide LL-37, we treated MDMs with LL-37 and infected them with ZIKV. The results showed a decrease in the proportion of infected cells. Our data provide new insights into the role of vitamin D in restricting ZIKV infection in macrophages that are mediated by induction of cathelicidin/LL-37 expression and downregulation of proinflammatory genes. Results highlight the biological relevance of vitamin D-inducible peptides as an antiviral treatment for Zika fever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geysson Javier Fernandez
- Grupo Inmunovirología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Calle 70 No 52-21, Medellín, Colombia; Grupo Biología y Control de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellín, Colombia.
| | - Julieta M Ramírez-Mejía
- CIBIOP Group, Department of Applied Sciences and Engineering, Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.
| | - Jorge Andrés Castillo
- Grupo Inmunovirología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Calle 70 No 52-21, Medellín, Colombia; Grupo de enfermedades infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Silvio Urcuqui-Inchima
- Grupo Inmunovirología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Calle 70 No 52-21, Medellín, Colombia.
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