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Zhang M, Wang J, Li C, Wu S, Liu W, Zhou C, Ma L. Cathelicidin AS-12W Derived from the Alligator sinensis and Its Antimicrobial Activity Against Drug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria In Vitro and In Vivo. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2024:10.1007/s12602-024-10250-2. [PMID: 38587584 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-024-10250-2] [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] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have the potential to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Cathelicidins are a class of cationic antimicrobial peptides that are found in nearly all vertebrates. Herein, we determined the mature peptide region of Alligator sinensis cathelicidin by comparing its cathelicidin peptide sequence with those of other reptiles and designed nine peptide mutants based on the Alligator sinensis cathelicidin mature peptide. According to the antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity screening, the peptide AS-12W demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and exhibited low erythrocyte hemolytic activity. In particular, AS-12W exhibited strong antibacterial activity and rapid bactericidal activity against carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro. Additionally, AS-12W effectively removed carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa from blood and organs in vivo, leading to improved survival rates in septic mice. Furthermore, AS-12W exhibited good stability and tolerance to harsh conditions such as high heat, high salt, strong acid, and strong alkali, and it also displayed high stability toward trypsin and simulated gastric fluid (SGF). Moreover, AS-12W showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in vitro by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory factors induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Due to its antibacterial mechanism against Escherichia coli, we found that this peptide could neutralize the negative charge on the surface of the bacteria and disrupt the integrity of the bacterial cell membrane. In addition, AS-12W has the ability to bind to the genomic DNA of bacteria and stimulate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within bacteria, which is believed to be the reason for the good antibacterial activity of AS-12W. These results demonstrated that AS-12W exhibits remarkable antibacterial activity, particularly against carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa. Therefore, it is a potential candidate for antibacterial drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meina Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Jian Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Chao Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Shaoju Wu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Wei Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Changlin Zhou
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China.
| | - Lingman Ma
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China.
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2
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King N, Dhumal D, Lew SQ, Kuo SH, Galanakou C, Oh MW, Chong SY, Zhang N, Lee LTO, Hayouka Z, Peng L, Lau GW. Amphiphilic Dendrimer as Potent Antibacterial against Drug-Resistant Bacteria in Mouse Models of Human Infectious Diseases. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:453-466. [PMID: 38241613 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00425] [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] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Modern medicine continues to struggle against antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. Among the pathogens of critical concerns are the multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. These pathogens are major causes of nosocomial infections among immunocompromised individuals, involving major organs such as lung, skin, spleen, kidney, liver, and bloodstream. Therefore, novel approaches are direly needed. Recently, we developed an amphiphilic dendrimer DDC18-8A exhibiting high antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy in vitro. DDC18-8A is composed of a long hydrophobic alkyl chain and a small hydrophilic poly(amidoamine) dendron bearing amine terminals, exerting its antibacterial activity by attaching and inserting itself into bacterial membranes to trigger cell lysis. Here, we examined the pharmacokinetics and in vivo toxicity as well as the antibacterial efficacy of DDC18-8A in mouse models of human infectious diseases. Remarkably, DDC18-8A significantly reduced the bacterial burden in mouse models of acute pneumonia and bacteremia by P. aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae and neutropenic soft tissue infection by P. aeruginosa and MRSA. Most importantly, DDC18-8A outperformed pathogen-specific antibiotics against all three pathogens by achieving a similar bacterial clearance at 10-fold lower therapeutic concentrations. In addition, it showed superior stability and biodistribution in vivo, with excellent safety profiles yet without any observable abnormalities in histopathological analysis of major organs, blood serum biochemistry, and hematology. Collectively, we provide strong evidence that DDC18-8A is a promising alternative to the currently prescribed antibiotics in addressing challenges associated with nosocomial infections by MDR pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah King
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, United States
| | - Dinesh Dhumal
- CNRS, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille (CINaM), UMR 7325, Equipe Labelisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Aix Marseille University, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy 913, Marseille 13288, France
| | - Shi Qian Lew
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, United States
| | - Shanny Hsuan Kuo
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, United States
| | - Christina Galanakou
- CNRS, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille (CINaM), UMR 7325, Equipe Labelisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Aix Marseille University, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy 913, Marseille 13288, France
| | - Myung Whan Oh
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, United States
| | - Sook Yin Chong
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, United States
| | - Nian Zhang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa 999078, Macau, China
| | - Leo Tsz On Lee
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa 999078, Macau, China
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa 999078, Macau, China
| | - Zvi Hayouka
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Ling Peng
- CNRS, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille (CINaM), UMR 7325, Equipe Labelisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Aix Marseille University, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy 913, Marseille 13288, France
| | - Gee W Lau
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, United States
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3
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Lau JZ, Kuo SH, Belo Y, Malach E, Maron B, Caraway HE, Oh MW, Zhang Y, Ismail N, Lau GW, Hayouka Z. Antibacterial efficacy of an ultra-short palmitoylated random peptide mixture in mouse models of infection by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0057423. [PMID: 37819119 PMCID: PMC10648864 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00574-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Indiscriminate use of antibiotics has imposed a selective pressure for the rapid rise in bacterial resistance, creating an urgent need for novel therapeutics for managing bacterial infectious diseases while counteracting bacterial resistance. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains have become a major challenge in modern medicine due to their ability to cause an array of severe infections. Recently, we have shown that the 20-mer random peptide mixtures are effective therapeutics against three ESKAPEE pathogens. Here, we evaluated the toxicity, biodistribution, bioavailability, and efficacy of the ultra-short palmitoylated 5-mer phenylalanine:lysine (FK5P) random peptide mixtures against multiple clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca. We demonstrate the FK5P rapidly and effectively killed various strains of K. pneumoniae, inhibited the formation of biofilms, and disrupted mature biofilms. FK5P displayed strong toxicity profiles both in vitro and in mice, with prolonged favorable biodistribution and a long half-life. Significantly, FK5P reduced the bacterial burden in mouse models of acute pneumonia and bacteremia and increased the survival rate in a mouse model of bacteremia. Our results demonstrate that FK5P is a safe and promising therapy against Klebsiella species as well as other ESKAPEE pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Z. Lau
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Shanny Hsuan Kuo
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Yael Belo
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Einav Malach
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Bar Maron
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hannah E. Caraway
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Myung Whan Oh
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Nahed Ismail
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gee W. Lau
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Zvi Hayouka
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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4
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Stern Bauer T, Yakobi R, Hurevich M, Yitzchaik S, Hayouka Z. Impedimetric Bacterial Detection Using Random Antimicrobial Peptide Mixtures. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:561. [PMID: 36679359 PMCID: PMC9866871 DOI: 10.3390/s23020561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The biosensing of bacterial pathogens is of a high priority. Electrochemical biosensors are an important future tool for rapid bacteria detection. A monolayer of bacterial-binding peptides can serve as a recognition layer in such detection devices. Here, we explore the potential of random peptide mixtures (RPMs) composed of phenylalanine and lysine in random sequences and of controlled length, to form a monolayer that can be utilized for sensing. RPMs were found to assemble in a thin and diluted layer that attracts various bacteria. Faradaic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used with modified gold electrodes to measure the charge-transfer resistance (RCT) caused due to the binding of bacteria to RPMs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to cause the most prominent increase in RCT compared to other model bacteria. We show that the combination of highly accessible antimicrobial RPMs and electrochemical analysis can be used to generate a new promising line of bacterial biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Stern Bauer
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
- Institute of Chemistry and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Ravit Yakobi
- Institute of Chemistry and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Mattan Hurevich
- Institute of Chemistry and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Shlomo Yitzchaik
- Institute of Chemistry and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Zvi Hayouka
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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5
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C S, G. R R, L. F L, M.C.G DR, N.B C, S.C D, O. L F. Advances and perspectives for antimicrobial peptide and combinatory therapies. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1051456. [PMID: 36578509 PMCID: PMC9791095 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1051456] [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: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have shown cell membrane-directed mechanisms of action. This specificity can be effective against infectious agents that have acquired resistance to conventional drugs. The AMPs' membrane-specificity and their great potential to combat resistant microbes has brought hope to the medical/therapeutic scene. The high death rate worldwide due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has pushed forward the search for new molecules and product developments, mainly antibiotics. In the current scenario, other strategies including the association of two or more drugs have contributed to the treatment of difficult-to-treat infectious diseases, above all, those caused by bacteria. In this context, the synergistic action of AMPs associated with current antibiotic therapy can bring important results for the production of new and effective drugs to overcome AMR. This review presents the advances obtained in the last 5 years in medical/antibiotic therapy, with the use of products based on AMPs, as well as perspectives on the potentialized effects of current drugs combined with AMPs for the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santos C
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco (UCDB), Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Rodrigues G. R
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímica (CAPB), Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Lima L. F
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímica (CAPB), Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - dos Reis M.C.G
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímica (CAPB), Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Cunha N.B
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímica (CAPB), Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil
- Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Dias S.C
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímica (CAPB), Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Animal, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Franco O. L
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco (UCDB), Campo Grande, Brazil
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímica (CAPB), Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Patologia Molecular, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil
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6
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Maron B, Rolff J, Friedman J, Hayouka Z. Antimicrobial Peptide Combination Can Hinder Resistance Evolution. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0097322. [PMID: 35862981 PMCID: PMC9430149 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00973-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant microbial pathogens are becoming a major threat to human health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new alternatives to conventional antibiotics. One such promising alternative is antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are produced by virtually all organisms and typically inhibit bacteria via membrane disruption. However, previous studies demonstrated that bacteria can rapidly develop AMP resistance. Here, we study whether combination therapy, known to be able to inhibit the evolution of resistance to conventional antibiotics, can also hinder the evolution of AMP resistance. To do so, we evolved the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of individual AMPs, AMP pairs, and a combinatorial antimicrobial peptide library. Treatment with some AMP pairs indeed hindered the evolution of resistance compared with individual AMPs. In particular, resistance to pairs was delayed when resistance to the individual AMPs came at a cost of impaired bacterial growth and did not confer cross-resistance to other tested AMPs. The lowest level of resistance evolved during treatment with the combinatorial antimicrobial peptide library termed random antimicrobial peptide mixture, which contains more than a million different peptides. A better understanding of how AMP combinations affect the evolution of resistance is a crucial step in order to design "resistant proof" AMP cocktails that will offer a sustainable treatment option for antibiotic-resistant pathogens. IMPORTANCE The main insights gleaned from this study are the following. (i) AMP combination treatment can delay the evolution of resistance in S. aureus. Treatment with some AMP pairs resulted in significantly lower resistance then treatment with either of the individual AMPs. Treatment with a random AMP library resulted in no detectable resistance. (ii) The rate at which resistance to combination arises correlates with the cost of resistance to individual AMPs and their cross-resistance. In particular, combinations to which the least resistance arose involved AMPs with high fitness cost of resistance and low cross-resistance. (iii) No broad-range AMP resistance evolved. Strains that evolved resistance to some AMPs typically remained sensitive to other AMPs, alleviating concerns regarding the evolution of resistance to immune system AMPs in response to AMP treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bar Maron
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jens Rolff
- Institute of Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Freie University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Friedman
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Zvi Hayouka
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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7
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Oh MW, Lella M, Kuo SH, Tal-Gan Y, Lau GW. Pharmacological Evaluation of Synthetic Dominant-Negative Peptides Derived from the Competence-Stimulating Peptide of Streptococcus pneumoniae. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:299-305. [PMID: 35592433 PMCID: PMC9112410 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The competence regulon of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a quorum-sensing circuitry that regulates the ability of this pathogen to acquire antibiotic resistance or perform serotype switching, leading to vaccine-escape serotypes, via horizontal gene transfer, as well as initiate virulence. Induction of the competence regulon is centered on binding of the competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) to its cognate receptor, ComD. We have recently synthesized multiple dominant-negative peptide analogs capable of inhibiting competence induction and virulence in S. pneumoniae. However, the pharmacodynamics and safety profiles of these peptide drug leads have not been characterized. Therefore, in this study, we compared the biostability of cyanine-7.5-labeled wild-type CSPs versus dominant-negative peptide analogs (dnCSPs) spatiotemporally by using an IVIS Spectrum in vivo imaging system. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo toxicity were evaluated. We conclude that our best peptide analog, CSP1-E1A-cyc(Dap6E10), is an attractive therapeutic agent against pneumococcal infection with superior safety and pharmacokinetics profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myung Whan Oh
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, United States
| | - Muralikrishna Lella
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Shanny Hsuan Kuo
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, United States
| | - Yftah Tal-Gan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Gee W Lau
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, United States
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8
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Multitargeted anti-infective drugs: resilience to resistance in the antimicrobial resistance era. FUTURE DRUG DISCOVERY 2022; 4:FDD73. [PMID: 35600289 PMCID: PMC9112235 DOI: 10.4155/fdd-2022-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The standard drug discovery paradigm of single molecule – single biological target – single biological effect is perhaps particularly unsuitable for anti-infective drug discovery. This is due to the rapid evolution of resistance likely to be observed with single target drugs. Multitargeted anti-infective drugs are likely to be superior due to their lower susceptibility to target-related resistance mechanisms. Strathclyde minor groove binders are a class of compounds which have been developed by adopting the multitargeted anti-infective drugs paradigm, and their effectiveness against a wide range of pathogenic organisms is discussed. The renaming of this class to Strathclyde nucleic acid binders is also presented due to their likely targets including both DNA and RNA.
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9
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Caraway HE, Lau JZ, Maron B, Oh MW, Belo Y, Brill A, Malach E, Ismail N, Hayouka Z, Lau GW. Antimicrobial Random Peptide Mixtures Eradicate Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilms and Inhibit Mouse Models of Infection. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030413. [PMID: 35326876 PMCID: PMC8944503 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest crises in human medicine. Increased incidents of antibiotic resistance are linked to clinical overuse and overreliance on antibiotics. Among the ESKAPE pathogens, Acinetobacter baumannii, especially carbapenem-resistant isolates, has emerged as a significant threat in the context of blood, urinary tract, lung, and wound infections. Therefore, new approaches that limit the emergence of antibiotic resistant A. baumannii are urgently needed. Recently, we have shown that random peptide mixtures (RPMs) are an attractive alternative class of drugs to antibiotics with strong safety and pharmacokinetic profiles. RPMs are antimicrobial peptide mixtures produced by incorporating two amino acids at each coupling step, rendering them extremely diverse but still defined in their overall composition, chain length, and stereochemistry. The extreme diversity of RPMs may prevent bacteria from evolving resistance rapidly. Here, we demonstrated that RPMs rapidly and efficiently kill different strains of A. baumannii, inhibit biofilm formation, and disrupt mature biofilms. Importantly, RPMs attenuated bacterial burden in mouse models of acute pneumonia and soft tissue infection and significantly reduced mouse mortality during sepsis. Collectively, our results demonstrate RPMs have the potential to be used as powerful therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E. Caraway
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA; (H.E.C.); (J.Z.L.); (M.W.O.)
| | - Jonathan Z. Lau
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA; (H.E.C.); (J.Z.L.); (M.W.O.)
| | - Bar Maron
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Myung Whan Oh
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA; (H.E.C.); (J.Z.L.); (M.W.O.)
| | - Yael Belo
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Aya Brill
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Einav Malach
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Nahed Ismail
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
| | - Zvi Hayouka
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
- Correspondence: (Z.H.); (G.W.L.)
| | - Gee W. Lau
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA; (H.E.C.); (J.Z.L.); (M.W.O.)
- Correspondence: (Z.H.); (G.W.L.)
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