1
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen Q, Li J. Molecular mechanism analysis of nontuberculous mycobacteria infection in patients with cystic fibrosis. Future Microbiol 2024; 19:877-888. [PMID: 38700285 PMCID: PMC11290754 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2023-0237] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim: This study aims to explore the molecular mechanisms of cystic fibrosis (CF) complicated with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection. Materials & methods: Expression profiles of CF with NTM-infected patients were downloaded from GEO database. Intersection analysis yielded 78 genes associated with CF with NTM infection. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the functions of hub genes were investigated. Results: Five hub genes (PIK3R1, IL1A, CXCR4, ACTN1, PFN1) were identified, which were primarily enriched in actin-related biological processes and pathways. Transcription factors RELA, JUN, NFKB1 and FOS that regulated hub genes modulated IL1A expression, while 21 other transcription factors regulated CXCR4 expression. Conclusion: In summary, this study may provide new insights into the mechanisms of CF with NTM infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qihuang Chen
- Department of Tuberculosis, 900TH Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Fuzhou, 350025, China
| | - Jin Li
- Department of Tuberculosis, 900TH Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Fuzhou, 350025, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Retuerto-Guerrero M, López-Medrano R, de Freitas-González E, Rivero-Lezcano OM. Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, Mucociliary Clearance, and Bronchiectasis. Microorganisms 2024; 12:665. [PMID: 38674609 PMCID: PMC11052484 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040665] [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: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental and ubiquitous, but only a few species are associated with disease, often presented as nodular/bronchiectatic or cavitary pulmonary forms. Bronchiectasis, airways dilatations characterized by chronic productive cough, is the main presentation of NTM pulmonary disease. The current Cole's vicious circle model for bronchiectasis proposes that it progresses from a damaging insult, such as pneumonia, that affects the respiratory epithelium and compromises mucociliary clearance mechanisms, allowing microorganisms to colonize the airways. An important bronchiectasis risk factor is primary ciliary dyskinesia, but other ciliopathies, such as those associated with connective tissue diseases, also seem to facilitate bronchiectasis, as may occur in Lady Windermere syndrome, caused by M. avium infection. Inhaled NTM may become part of the lung microbiome. If the dose is too large, they may grow excessively as a biofilm and lead to disease. The incidence of NTM pulmonary disease has increased in the last two decades, which may have influenced the parallel increase in bronchiectasis incidence. We propose that ciliary dyskinesia is the main promoter of bronchiectasis, and that the bacteria most frequently involved are NTM. Restoration of ciliary function and impairment of mycobacterial biofilm formation may provide effective therapeutic alternatives to antibiotics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Retuerto-Guerrero
- Servicio de Reumatología, Complejo Asistencial Universitario de León, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León (SACYL), Altos de Nava, s/n, 24071 León, Spain;
| | - Ramiro López-Medrano
- Servicio de Microbiología Clínica, Complejo Asistencial Universitario de León, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León (SACYL), Altos de Nava, s/n, 24071 León, Spain;
| | - Elizabeth de Freitas-González
- Servicio de Neumología, Complejo Asistencial Universitario de León, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León (SACYL), Altos de Nava, s/n, 24071 León, Spain;
| | - Octavio Miguel Rivero-Lezcano
- Unidad de Investigación, Complejo Asistencial Universitario de León, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León (SACYL), Altos de Nava, s/n, 24071 León, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), University of León, 24071 León, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kaur P, Krishnamurthy RV, Shandil RK, Mohan R, Narayanan S. A Novel Inhibitor against the Biofilms of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria. Pathogens 2023; 13:40. [PMID: 38251347 PMCID: PMC10819454 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010040] [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: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), previously classified as environmental microbes, have emerged as opportunistic pathogens causing pulmonary infections in immunocompromised hosts. The formation of the biofilm empowers NTM pathogens to escape from the immune response and antibiotic action, leading to treatment failures. NF1001 is a novel thiopeptide antibiotic first-in-class compound with potent activity against planktonic/replicating and biofilm forms of various NTM species. It is potent against both drug-sensitive and -resistant NTM. It has demonstrated a concentration-dependent killing of replicating and intracellularly growing NTM, and has inhibited and reduced the viability of NTM in biofilms. Combination studies using standard-of-care (SoC) drugs for NTM exhibited synergetic/additive effects, but no antagonism against both planktonic and biofilm populations of Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium avium. In summary, the activity of NF1001 alone or in combination with SoC drugs projects NF1001 as a promising candidate for the treatment of difficult-to-treat NTM pulmonary diseases (NTM-PD) and cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Parvinder Kaur
- Foundation for Neglected Disease Research (FNDR), Doddaballapur, Bengaluru 561203, Karnataka, India; (R.V.K.); (R.K.S.); (S.N.)
| | - Ramya Vadageri Krishnamurthy
- Foundation for Neglected Disease Research (FNDR), Doddaballapur, Bengaluru 561203, Karnataka, India; (R.V.K.); (R.K.S.); (S.N.)
| | - Radha Krishan Shandil
- Foundation for Neglected Disease Research (FNDR), Doddaballapur, Bengaluru 561203, Karnataka, India; (R.V.K.); (R.K.S.); (S.N.)
| | - Rahul Mohan
- National Center for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOR), Headland Sada, Vasco da Gama 403802, Goa, India;
| | - Shridhar Narayanan
- Foundation for Neglected Disease Research (FNDR), Doddaballapur, Bengaluru 561203, Karnataka, India; (R.V.K.); (R.K.S.); (S.N.)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Esposito C, Kamper M, Trentacoste J, Galvin S, Pfister H, Wang J. Advances in the Cystic Fibrosis Drug Development Pipeline. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1835. [PMID: 37763239 PMCID: PMC10532558 DOI: 10.3390/life13091835] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that results in progressive multi-organ manifestations with predominance in the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. The significant morbidity and mortality seen in the CF population has been the driving force urging the CF research community to further advance treatments to slow disease progression and, in turn, prolong life expectancy. Enormous strides in medical advancements have translated to improvement in quality of life, symptom burden, and survival; however, there is still no cure. This review discusses the most current mainstay treatments and anticipated therapeutics in the CF drug development pipeline within the mechanisms of mucociliary clearance, anti-inflammatory and anti-infective therapies, restoration of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein (also known as highly effective modulator therapy (HEMT)), and genetic therapies. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) therapy, gene transfer, and gene editing are being explored in the hopes of developing a treatment and potential cure for people with CF, particularly for those not responsive to HEMT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Esposito
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New Hyde Park, New York, NY 11042, USA; (M.K.); (J.W.)
| | - Martin Kamper
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New Hyde Park, New York, NY 11042, USA; (M.K.); (J.W.)
| | - Jessica Trentacoste
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New Hyde Park, New York, NY 11042, USA; (M.K.); (J.W.)
| | - Susan Galvin
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Lake Success, New York, NY 11042, USA;
| | - Halie Pfister
- Manhasset Office of Clinical Research, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Lake Success, New York, NY 11042, USA;
| | - Janice Wang
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New Hyde Park, New York, NY 11042, USA; (M.K.); (J.W.)
- Manhasset Office of Clinical Research, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Lake Success, New York, NY 11042, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gerling-Driessen UIM, Hoffmann M, Schmidt S, Snyder NL, Hartmann L. Glycopolymers against pathogen infection. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:2617-2642. [PMID: 36820794 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00912a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites continue to shape our lives in profound ways every day. As we have learned to live in parallel with pathogens, we have gained a better understanding of the rules of engagement for how they bind, adhere, and invade host cells. One such mechanism involves the exploitation of host cell surface glycans for attachment/adhesion, one of the first steps of infection. This knowledge has led to the development of glycan-based diagnostics and therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of infection. One class of compounds that has become increasingly important are the glycopolymers. Glycopolymers are macromolecules composed of a synthetic scaffold presenting carbohydrates as side chain motifs. Glycopolymers are particularly attractive because their properties can be tuned by careful choice of the scaffold, carbohydrate/glycan, and overall presentation. In this review, we highlight studies over the past ten years that have examined the role of glycopolymers in pathogen adhesion and host cell infection, biofilm formation and removal, and drug delivery with the aim of examining the direct effects of these macromolecules on pathogen engagement. In addition, we also examine the role of glycopolymers as diagnostics for the detection and monitoring of pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulla I M Gerling-Driessen
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Miriam Hoffmann
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Stephan Schmidt
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. .,Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 31, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nicole L Snyder
- Department of Chemistry, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28035, USA
| | - Laura Hartmann
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Egro F, Repko A, Narayanaswamy V, Ejaz A, Kim D, Schusterman MA, Loughran A, Ayyash A, Towsend SM, Baker S, Ziembicki J, Marra K, Rubin P. Soluble chitosan derivative treats wound infections and promotes wound healing in a novel MRSA-infected porcine partial-thickness burn wound model. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274455. [PMID: 36240206 PMCID: PMC9565743 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Burns are physically debilitating and potentially fatal injuries. The most common etiology of burn wound infections in the US is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is particularly recalcitrant when biofilms form. The current standard of care, silver sulfadiazine (SSD) is effective in reducing bacterial load, but less effective in improving burn wound healing. New treatments that can manage infection while simultaneously improving healing would provide a benefit in the treatment of burns. Porcine models are frequently used as a model for human wound healing but can be expensive due to the need to separate wounds to avoid cross contamination. The porcine model developed in this study offers the capability to study multiple partial thickness burn wound (PTBW) sites on a single animal with minimal crosstalk to study wound healing, infection, and inflammation. The current study evaluates a wound rinse and a wound gel formulated with a non-toxic, polycationic chitosan derivative that is hypothesized to manage infection while also promoting healing, providing a potential alternate to SSD. Studies in vitro and in this PTBW porcine model compare treatment with the chitosan derivative formulations to SSD. The wound rinse and wound gel are observed to disrupt mature MRSA biofilms in vitro and reduce the MRSA load in vivo when compared to that of the standard of care. In vivo data further show increased re-epithelialization and faster healing in burns treated with wound rinse/gel as compared to SSD. Taken together, the data demonstrate the potential of the wound rinse/gel to significantly enhance healing, promote re-epithelialization, and reduce bacterial burden in infected PTBW using an economical porcine model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Egro
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Alex Repko
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | | | - Asim Ejaz
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Deokyeol Kim
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - M. Asher Schusterman
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | | | - Ali Ayyash
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | | | - Shenda Baker
- Synedgen Inc., Claremont, CA, United States of America
| | - Jenny Ziembicki
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Mercy, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Kacey Marra
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Peter Rubin
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|