Scorpion Venom Active Polypeptide May Be a New External Drug of Diabetic Ulcer

Current Insight of Peptide-Based Hydrogels for Chronic Wound Healing Applications: A Concise Review

Chronic wounds present a substantial healthcare obstacle, marked by an extended healing period that can persist for weeks, months, or even years. Typically, they do not progress through the usual phases of healing, which include hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling, within the expected timeframe. Therefore, to address the socioeconomic burden in taking care of chronic wounds, hydrogel-based therapeutic materials have been proposed. Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymer networks with a 3D structure which allows them to become skin substitutes for chronic wounds. Knowing that peptides are abundant in the human body and possess distinct biological functionality, activity, and selectivity, their adaptability as peptide-based hydrogels to individual therapeutic requirements has made them a significant potential biomaterial for the treatment of chronic wounds. Peptide-based hydrogels possess excellent physicochemical and mechanical characteristics such as biodegradability and swelling, and suitable rheological properties as well great biocompatibility. Moreover, they interact with cells, promoting adhesion, migration, and proliferation. These characteristics and cellular interactions have driven peptide-based hydrogels to be applied in chronic wound healing.

A review on inflammation modulating venom proteins/peptide therapeutics and their delivery strategies: A review

Inflammation is an initial biological reaction that occurs in response to infection caused by foreign pathogens or injury. This process involves a tightly controlled series of signaling events at the molecular and cellular levels, with the ultimate goal of restoring tissue balance and protecting against invading pathogens. Malfunction in the process of inflammation can result in a diverse array of diseases, such as cardiovascular, neurological, and autoimmune disorders. Therefore, the management of inflammation is of utmost importance in modern medicine. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids have long been the mainstays of pharmacological treatment for inflammation, effectively alleviating symptoms in many patients. Recently, toxins and venom, formerly seen as mostly harmful to the human body, have been recognized as possible medicinal substances for treating inflammation. Organisms that are venomous, such as spiders, scorpions, snakes, and certain marine species, have developed a wide range of powerful toxins that can effectively disable or discourage predators. Remarkably, the majority of these poisons and venoms consist of proteins and peptides, which are acknowledged as significant bioactive compounds with medicinal potential. The goal of this review is to investigate the medicinal potential of peptides derived from venoms and their complex mechanism of action in suppressing inflammation. This review also discusses various challenges and future prospects for effective venom delivery.

The Promoting Effect of Animal Bioactive Proteins and Peptide Components on Wound Healing: A Review

The skin is the first line of defense to protect the host from external environmental damage. When the skin is damaged, the wound provides convenience for the invasion of external substances. The prolonged nonhealing of wounds can also lead to numerous subsequent complications, seriously affecting the quality of life of patients. To solve this problem, proteins and peptide components that promote wound healing have been discovered in animals, which can act on key pathways involved in wound healing, such as the PI3K/AKT, TGF-β, NF-κ B, and JAK/STAT pathways. So far, some formulations for topical drug delivery have been developed, including hydrogels, microneedles, and electrospinning nanofibers. In addition, some high-performance dressings have been utilized, which also have great potential in wound healing. Here, research progress on the promotion of wound healing by animal-derived proteins and peptide components is summarized, and future research directions are discussed.

Scorpion Venom Polypeptide Inhibits Pulmonary Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Systemic Sclerosis-Interstitial Lung Disease Model Mice by Intervening TGF-β1/Smad Signaling Pathway

Objective

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an important complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and possible mechanism of polypeptide extract of scorpion venom (PESV) on SSc-ILD.

Methods

C57/BL6 mice were injected with bleomycin to establish a SSc-ILD model. Different concentrations of PESV solution were administered to SSc-ILD mice, and dexamethasone was used as a positive control. H&E staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes. The TGF-β1 expression level was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins was detected by Western blot, and the expression of TGF-β1/Smad pathway-related proteins was also detected. The content of inflammatory cytokines in serum and BALF was determined by ELISA.

Results

Pathological analysis showed that PESV could alleviate SSc-ILD-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. Compared with the model group, the content of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α significantly decreased after PESV treatment. PESV could increase the expression of epithelial marker (E-cadherin) and reduce the expression of interstitial markers (collagen I, vimentin, N-cadherin, and a-SMA). In addition, PESV could reduce the expression level of TGF-β1/Smad pathway-related protein.

Conclusion

PESV can attenuate SSc-ILD by regulating EMT, and the effect was linked to the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway, which indicated that PESV may serve as a candidate drug for SSc-ILD.

Antiinflammatory peptides: current knowledge and promising prospects

BACKGROUND

Inflammation is part of the regular host reaction to injury or infection caused by toxic factors, pathogens, damaged cells, irritants, and allergens. Antiinflammatory peptides (AIPs) are present in all living organisms, and many peptides from herbal, mammalian, bacterial, and marine origins have been shown to have antimicrobial and/or antiinflammatory properties.

METHODS

In this study, we investigated the effects of antiinflammatory peptides on inflammation, and highlighted the underlying mechanisms responsible for these effects.

RESULTS

In multicellular organisms, including humans, AIPs constitute an essential part of their immune system. In addition, numerous natural and synthetic AIPs are effective immunomodulators and can interfere with signal transduction pathways involved in inflammatory cytokine expression. Among them, some peptides such as antiflammin, N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP), and those derived from velvet antler proteins, bee venom, horse fly salivary gland, and bovine β-casein have received considerable attention over the past few years.

CONCLUSION

This article presents an overview on the major properties and mechanisms of action associated with AIPs as immunomodulatory, chemotactic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial agents. In addition, the results of various studies dealing with effects of AIPs on numerous classical models of inflammation are reviewed and discussed.