Article
Chemistry, Physical
Thomas G. Meikle, Durga Dharmadana, Soren V. Hoffmann, Nykola C. Jones, Calum J. Drummond, Charlotte E. Conn
Summary: This study utilized lipid-based cubosomes as delivery vehicles for antimicrobial peptides, increasing AMP loading efficiency by manipulating electrostatic charge and enhancing antimicrobial activity of nanoparticles. This approach provides a foundation for designing more effective and targeted antibiotic therapies.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuning Zhang, Joakim Hakansson, Yanmiao Fan, Oliver C. J. Andren, Jorge San Jacinto Garcia, Liguo Qin, Anita Umerska, Daniel J. Hutchinson, Mads Luchow, Margit Mahlapuu, Michael Malkoch
Summary: A hybrid hierarchical delivery system for topical delivery of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) was developed by incorporating AMPs into dendritic nanogels (DNGs) and embedding them into poloxamer gel. The system exhibited a slower release rate compared to direct entrapment in the gels, and showed good biocompatibility and strong antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Anna Ramata-Stunda, Martins Boroduskis, Elza Kaktina, Liene Patetko, Uldis Kalnenieks, Zane Lasa, Marta Rubina, Inese Strazdina, Gints Kalnins, Reinis Rutkis
Summary: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) and acne are common skin conditions. Antibiotic resistance in pathogens causing SSTIs and acne is increasing, making treatment challenging. This study designed and compared six new antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with existing ones. RP556 showed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity without cytotoxicity or hemolysis and stimulated IL-10 production. Four new AMPs showed specific activity against Cutibacterium acne below cytotoxic or hemolytic concentrations.
Article
Biophysics
Ankit Javia, Ambikanandan Misra, Hetal Thakkar
Summary: DPK-060 is a synthetic peptide derived from human protein kininogen, which exhibits strong antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. It has shown potential in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), and the nanostructured lipid-based gel formulation of DPK-060 has demonstrated controlled release and improved permeation compared to conventional formulations. This study confirms the efficacy of DPK-060 NLC gel as a safe and novel alternative for AD treatment.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria De Luca, Rosa Gaglione, Bartolomeo Della Ventura, Angela Cesaro, Rocco Di Girolamo, Raffaele Velotta, Angela Arciello
Summary: The researchers have successfully developed a simple method to load antimicrobial peptides onto PDMS, resulting in a functionalized material that is stable, antimicrobial, and biocompatible.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brittany Woodby, Erika Pambianchi, Francesca Ferrara, Jean-Philippe Therrien, Alessandra Pecorelli, Nicolo' Messano, Mary Ann Lila, Giuseppe Valacchi
Summary: Exposure to O3 is reported to affect AMP levels in the skin, playing a role in skin inflammatory conditions, indicating a possible defensive strategy against pollution-associated skin conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maochao Zheng, Xiaolei Wu, Chao Lu, Wancong Zhang, Shijie Tang, Ying Luo, Daojun Liu
Summary: The development of alternative antimicrobial therapeutics is needed due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens. Polypept(o)ide-based bactericides, which mimic antimicrobial host defense peptides, have shown promise in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant and recurring infections. This review summarizes recent advances in membrane-active polypept(o)ide-based bactericides, focusing on their ability to disrupt bacterial cell walls/membranes and combat acquired antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Danieli F. Buccini, Marlon H. Cardoso, Octavio L. Franco
Summary: Bacterial infections caused by intracellular pathogens are difficult to control with conventional antibiotic therapies, leading to increased interest in antimicrobial peptides and cell-penetrating peptides as potential alternative treatments.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jiaqi Xuan, Weiguo Feng, Jiaye Wang, Ruichen Wang, Bowen Zhang, Letao Bo, Zhe-Sheng Chen, Hui Yang, Leming Sun
Summary: The long-term use of antibiotics leading to drug resistance has become a major concern. As the problem worsens, infections caused by multiple bacteria are increasing rapidly and posing serious threats to human health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics as they exhibit strong antimicrobial activity and unique mechanisms against drug-resistant bacterial infections. Current research on AMPs focuses on integrating new technologies, such as modifying the amino acid structure and exploring different delivery methods. This article provides valuable insights into the properties, mechanisms, and advancements of AMPs in combating drug-resistant bacterial infections.
DRUG RESISTANCE UPDATES
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ana Gomes, Lucinda J. Bessa, Iva Fernandes, Ricardo Ferraz, Claudia Monteiro, M. Cristina L. Martins, Nuno Mateus, Paula Gameiro, Catia Teixeira, Paula Gomes
Summary: Efficient antibiotics are running out, leading to challenges in infection treatment. Antimicrobial peptides are considered a new hope for the future. The chimeric peptide PP4-3.1 shows potent activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, making it a promising lead for new topical treatments for severe skin infections.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lin Hou, Wei Wang, Mei-Kun Wang, Xue-Song Song
Summary: This study reports a multifunctional composite wound dressing loaded with chitosan-binding bFGF and antimicrobial peptides. The dressing exhibited excellent antibacterial activity, effectively inhibiting the growth of bacteria, and accelerated wound healing. Cell experiments and animal experiments demonstrated the positive effects of the composite dressing on cell growth and tissue repair.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Emergency Medicine
Xiaotong Ding, Qinghan Tang, Zeyu Xu, Ye Xu, Hao Zhang, Dongfeng Zheng, Shuqin Wang, Qian Tan, Joanneke Maitz, Peter K. Maitz, Shaoping Yin, Yiwei Wang, Jun Chen
Summary: Acute and chronic wound infections are significant healthcare burdens globally, leading to high morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms of infection have been extensively studied, but diagnosing and treating wound infections remain challenging. This review summarizes common microorganisms, discusses challenges in diagnosis, non-surgical methods, and surgical methods, and highlights future directions in wound infection treatment.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jehangir Cama, Kareem Al Nahas, Marcus Fletcher, Katharine Hammond, Maxim G. Ryadnov, Ulrich F. Keyser, Stefano Pagliara
Summary: This study investigates the structure-activity relationships of polypeptide antibiotics using two microfluidic platforms. The researchers find strong correlations between the physicochemical activity of each peptide at the membrane level and its biological activity at the cellular level. They demonstrate the capability of their strategy to detect differential responses for peptides with single amino acid substitutions, which can accelerate the rational design and development of peptide antimicrobials.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Chenghua Song, Ruichao Wen, Jiaxuan Zhou, Xiaoyan Zeng, Zi Kou, Jia Zhang, Tao Wang, Pengkang Chang, Yi Lv, Rongqian Wu
Summary: The antimicrobial activity and mechanism of a novel synthetic peptide GK-19, derived from scorpion venom-derived peptide AamAP1, were evaluated. GK-19 showed inhibitory effects on bacterial growth and fungi by disrupting the microbial cell membrane. It exhibited low toxicity to mammalian cells, low hemolytic activity, high stability in plasma, and significant antimicrobial and healing effects in mice models of skin and soft tissue infections.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Zhou Ye, Ting Sang, Kun Li, Nicholas G. Fischer, Isha Mutreja, Constanza Echeverria, Dhiraj Kumar, Zhen Tang, Conrado Aparicio
Summary: Antimicrobial coatings are a promising strategy to prevent implant infections, and hybrid nanocoatings with antimicrobial peptide (AMP) amphiphiles decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) show significantly increased antimicrobial potency in vitro and in vivo.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Matthew Blakeley, Prashant K. Sharma, Hans J. Kaper, Nagihan Bostanci, Thomas Crouzier
Summary: Disruption of lubrication between oral surfaces due to salivary gland hypofunction can negatively impact quality of life. Research suggests that functionalizing polyethylene glycol with wheat germ agglutinin and immobilizing it on oral epithelial cells and tissue can mimic the salivary film, providing long-lasting relief from mucosal dryness.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yeshwant Kurhe, Mara Caputo, Emmelie Cansby, Ying Xia, Sima Kumari, Sumit Kumar Anand, Brian W. Howell, Hanns-Ulrich Marschall, Margit Mahlapuu
Summary: The study indicates that antagonizing STK25 signaling inhibits the development of NASH-related HCC, suggesting further analysis of STK25 as a therapeutic target for NASH-induced HCC treatment.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Mehmet Nizamoglu, Roderick H. J. de Hilster, Fenghua Zhao, Prashant K. Sharma, Theo Borghuis, Martin C. Harmsen, Janette K. Burgess
Summary: In fibrotic lung diseases, the composition and structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) are altered, leading to changes in cellular behavior. This study developed an in vitro model to mimic the altered mechanics of a fibrotic microenvironment. The results showed that crosslinking the ECM-derived hydrogels changed their biomechanical properties and fiber organization, which influenced the differentiation and morphology of fibroblasts.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Biology
Emmelie Cansby, Sima Kumari, Mara Caputo, Ying Xia, Rando Porosk, Jonathan Robinson, Hao Wang, Britt-Marie Olsson, Josefine Vallin, Julie Grantham, Ursel Soomets, L. Thomas Svensson, Carina Sihlbom, Hanns-Ulrich Marschall, Andreas Edsfeldt, Isabel Goncalves, Margit Mahlapuu
Summary: Silencing of STK25 reduces lipid accumulation, suppresses inflammation and fibrotic pathways, and lowers oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress, ultimately exerting protective effects against atherosclerosis.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nataliya Migulina, Gavin Tjin, Alen Faiz, Theo Borghuis, Fenghua Zhao, Hans J. Kaper, Marit Metzlar, Eline van Dijk, Prashant K. Sharma, Wim Timens, Reinoud Gosens, Corry-Anke Brandsma, Janette K. Burgess
Summary: This study investigated the effects of smoking and COPD on LOs gene and protein expression in the airways and found that LOs alterations may be related to smoking and contribute to impaired airway function in COPD, providing potential novel targets for prevention or treatment of small airways changes in COPD.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ke Ren, Hongping Wan, Hans J. Kaper, Prashant K. Sharma
Summary: In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA) was conjugated with dopamine to form HADN, which exhibited adhesive properties while retaining viscosity enhancement capacity. It was found that HADN could enhance cartilage lubrication through adsorption onto collagen, providing better protection for cartilage compared to HA alone.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sumit Kumar Anand, Mara Caputo, Ying Xia, Emma Andersson, Emmelie Cansby, Sima Kumari, Marcus Henricsson, Rando Porosk, Katharina Susanne Keuenhof, Johanna Louise Hoog, Syam Nair, Hanns-Ulrich Marschall, Matthias Bluher, Margit Mahlapuu
Summary: The primary hepatic consequence of obesity is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which affects a significant proportion of the global adult population. This study investigates the potential role of STE20-type kinase MAP4K4 in the regulation of he-patocellular lipotoxicity and susceptibility to NAFLD. The findings suggest that MAP4K4 may contribute to the development of NAFLD by promoting liver lipid accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis. Silencing MAP4K4 in human hepatocytes was found to reduce lipid deposition and alleviate oxidative/ endoplasmic reticulum stress, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for NAFLD.
JOURNAL OF LIPID RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuning Zhang, Joakim Hakansson, Yanmiao Fan, Oliver C. J. Andren, Jorge San Jacinto Garcia, Liguo Qin, Anita Umerska, Daniel J. Hutchinson, Mads Luchow, Margit Mahlapuu, Michael Malkoch
Summary: A hybrid hierarchical delivery system for topical delivery of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) was developed by incorporating AMPs into dendritic nanogels (DNGs) and embedding them into poloxamer gel. The system exhibited a slower release rate compared to direct entrapment in the gels, and showed good biocompatibility and strong antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Frans Stalfelt, Karin Svensson Malchau, Camilla Bjorn, Maziar Mohaddes, Annette Erichsen Andersson
Summary: This study investigated the correlation between airborne colony-forming units (CFU) and particles during surgery, and explored the influence of different ventilation settings on this correlation. The results showed a lack of convincing evidence of correlation and suggested that particle counting may not be a substitute for conventional air bacterial assessment.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
A. H. A. Damen, C. C. van Donkelaar, P. K. Sharma, H. Wan, R. Cardinaels, T. A. Schmidt, K. Ito
Summary: This study discovered a natural lubricating molecule called proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) that can adsorb onto a bioinspired coating, reducing friction between implant and articular cartilage. The coating effectively immobilized PRG4 and improved lubrication between PCL-based implants and cartilage. This coating shows promise for enhancing the clinical success of cartilage resurfacing implants based on PCL.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART B-APPLIED BIOMATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiwen Xi, Chang-Hwan Choi, Robert Chang, Hans Jan Kaper, Prashant Kumar Sharma
Summary: Micro-and nanotexturing on hard biomaterials have advantages for tissue engineering and antifouling applications. However, texturing may increase friction, necessitating further research on tribological effects under physiological conditions. This study investigates the tribological effects of micro-and nanopore patterns on hard hydrophilic silicon sliding against soft hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) immersed in various viscosities of aqueous liquids to simulate textured implant surface sliding against soft tissues. The results show that pore textures at micro-and nanoscale feature sizes confer a higher coefficient of friction (COF) compared to an untextured surface, attributed to the texture's edge effect caused by periodic pore patterns and material stiffness difference. COF generally decreases with the increase in aqueous viscosity, indicating transition from boundary to mixed lubrication regimes. Compared to hydrophilic hard probe sliding against hydrophobic soft substrate, hydrophobic soft probe sliding against hydrophilic hard substrate produces significantly higher COF due to larger edge effect in similar physiological conditions.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ying Xia, Emma Andersson, Sumit K. Anand, Emmelie Cansby, Mara Caputo, Sima Kumari, Rando Porosk, Kalle Kilk, Syam Nair, Hanns-Ulrich Marschall, Matthias Blueher, Margit Mahlapuu
Summary: This study provides experimental evidence for the role of hepatic lipid droplet-decorating kinase TAOK1 in the development of NAFLD. The kinase affects fatty acid metabolism and distribution, as well as metabolic and pro-oncogenic signaling pathways, thus influencing the progression of NAFLD.
HEPATOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Alejandro Reina-Mahecha, Martine J. Beers, Hugo C. van der Veen, Inge S. Zuhorn, Theo G. van Kooten, Prashant K. Sharma
Summary: This review summarizes the current understanding of bioreactors and their potential use in cartilage tissue engineering, with a focus on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Bioreactors play a crucial role in simulating the joint cavity niche, promoting cell differentiation, and maintaining homeostasis in cartilage tissue engineering. Incorporating iPSCs and bioreactors shows promise for advancing the field and translating these approaches into clinical applications.
TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Francisco D. Martinez Garcia, Martine M. Valk, Prashant K. Sharma, Janette K. Burgess, Martin C. Harmsen
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A
(2022)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Margit Mahlapuu, Mara Caputo, Ying Xia, Emmelie Cansby
Summary: This review provides an overview of recent studies on the role of GCKIII kinases in NAFLD/NASH. Significant progress has been made in understanding the involvement of GCKIII kinases in hepatic fat accumulation and the progression of NAFLD, but there are still unresolved questions. More research is needed to fully understand the potential of GCKIII kinases as therapeutic targets for NAFLD and its comorbidities.
HEPATOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)