Review
Infectious Diseases
Esther Imperlini, Federica Massaro, Francesco Buonocore
Summary: The introduction of antibiotics revolutionized the treatment of microbial infections, but growing antibiotic resistance poses a major concern. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) show promise as alternatives to conventional antibiotics, as they have low risk of resistance development. However, there are challenges in their clinical impact, and research efforts are focused on improving their activity and reducing toxicity. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been developed for AMP delivery, including lipid NPs, polymeric NPs, mesoporous silica, and gold NPs, to enhance solubility, protect against degradation, reduce toxicity, and potentiate their action against pathogens.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Xinghong Zhao, Yanli Xu, Jakob H. Viel, Oscar P. Kuipers
Summary: In this study, a new class of antimicrobial peptides were developed using class-II lanthipeptide synthetase CinM, which showed bactericidal activity against relevant pathogenic bacteria through the addition of lipid tails. Additionally, the peptides exhibited a potential mode of action by disrupting bacterial membranes and lysing bacterial cells, while also showing low hemolytic activity.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Suvi T. Hakkinen, Marina Sokovic, Liisa Nohynek, Ana Ciric, Marija Ivanov, Dejan Stojkovic, Irina Tsitko, Melanie Matos, Joao P. Baixinho, Viktoriya Ivasiv, Naiara Fernandez, Claudia Nunes dos Santos, Kirsi-Marja Oksman-Caldentey
Summary: Chicory contains bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibiofilm activities. Supercritical fluid extracts showed the highest bioactivity, inhibiting drug-resistant bacteria and fungi. There is potential for the development of novel antibacterial and antifungal preparations from chicory extracts.
Article
Plant Sciences
Erin L. Baggs, Meije B. Tiersma, Brad W. Abramson, Todd P. Michael, Ksenia Krasileva
Summary: This study investigates the evolution of defense responses in the absence of EDS1 using duckweeds, a group of aquatic plants that lack EDS1. Through comparative genomics and transcriptomics, the study reveals that pathogen defense in duckweeds has evolved differently than in other plants, including genomic and transcriptional reprogramming. Despite the divergence, there is conservation of upregulation of certain genes and the role of hormones in response to disease.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alvaro Mourenza, Blanca Lorente-Torres, Elena Durante, Jesus Llano-Verdeja, Jesus F. Aparicio, Arsenio Fernandez-Lopez, Jose A. Gil, Luis M. Mateos, Michal Letek
Summary: The development of RNA-based anti-infectives, particularly after the successful application of mRNA vaccines, has attracted interest. MiRNAs have been extensively studied for their role in post-transcriptional gene regulation, and it has been discovered that some human miRNAs play important roles in antimicrobial defense. Recent research using exosomes as delivery vehicles for miRNAs has shown promising results, overcoming the challenges of cellular uptake and degradation. This review highlights the potential of exosomal delivery of miRNAs as a complementary treatment to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mario R. Felicio, Gislaine G. O. S. Silveira, Karen G. N. Oshiro, Beatriz T. Meneguetti, Octavio L. Franco, Nuno C. Santos, Sonia Goncalves
Summary: This study evaluated the applicability and mechanisms of action of two synthetic AMPs against a clinically isolated multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strain. The results showed that both peptides have potential antimicrobial activity, but with different mechanisms of action, with Pa-MAP 1.9 being more effective than Pa-MAP 2. These findings highlight the potential use of these AMPs as antimicrobial agents against MDR bacteria.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Tian-Ye Du, Samantha C. Karunarathna, Xian Zhang, Dong-Qin Dai, Ausana Mapook, Nakarin Suwannarach, Jian-Chu Xu, Steven L. Stephenson, Abdallah M. Elgorban, Salim Al-Rejaie, Saowaluck Tibpromma
Summary: This study aims to understand the antimicrobial activities of endophytic fungi associated with Chinese agarwood and their potential as biocontrol agents. The researchers isolated and identified several fungi that exhibited significant inhibition against various bacterial and fungal pathogens, providing a foundation for further research.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Robson Coutinho-Silva, Luiz Eduardo Baggio Savio
Summary: Purinergic signalling is a conserved pathway mediated by extracellular nucleotides and nucleosides, activating host innate immune defense mechanisms during intracellular pathogen infections.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Jin Wang, Jiayi Xie, Daosong Wang, Xue Han, Minqi Chen, Guojun Shi, Linjia Jiang, Meng Zhao
Summary: Using single-cell sequencing, researchers identified a specific subpopulation of megakaryocytes (MKs) that highly expressed CXCR4 and exhibited both immune characteristics and MK-specific features. These CXCR4(high) MKs interacted with myeloid cells to promote their migration and enhance bacterial phagocytosis, and they were also capable of antigen presentation to activate T cells. Furthermore, in response to bacterial infection, these CXCR4(high) MKs could exit circulation and infiltrate into the spleen, liver, and lung. The ablation of MKs suppressed the innate immune response and impaired the anti-bacterial effects of T cells in mice.
Article
Microbiology
Raja Aadil Hussain Bhat, Victoria C. Khangembam, Dimpal Thakuria, Vinita Pant, Ritesh Shantilal Tandel, Gayatri Tripathi, Debajit Sarma
Summary: In this study, a peptide called KK16 was designed with potent antibacterial and antifungal activity and low toxicity to host cells. The peptide showed strong efficacy against various pathogenic bacteria and remained stable under different environmental conditions.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Felix L. Santana, Karel Estrada, Morgan A. Alford, Bing C. Wu, Melanie Dostert, Lucas Pedraz, Noushin Akhoundsadegh, Pavneet Kalsi, Evan F. Haney, Suzana K. Straus, Gerardo Corzo, Robert E. W. Hancock
Summary: Host defense peptides (HDPs) are an alternative approach to combat antibiotic resistance. Crocodylians have a robust immune system and researchers have discovered novel cathelicidin sequences with broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities. Among them, As-CATH8 exhibited similar activity profiles to last-resort antibiotics, killed planktonic and biofilm cells, caused cell membrane depolarization and binding to DNA. As-CATH8 also showed superior antibiofilm activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) compared to human cathelicidin LL-37. Moreover, As-CATH8 demonstrated strong antibacterial effects against clinical isolates of S. aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii in a murine abscess model. This study expands the understanding of cathelicidin peptides in crocodylians and highlights the therapeutic potential of As-CATH8 for common skin infections.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fleurdeliz Maglangit, Yi Yu, Hai Deng
Summary: Pathogenic bacteria pose threats but also provide potential for pharmaceuticals. Discovering new antibiotics and exploiting pathogenic bacteria could lead to a new era of antibiotic discovery.
NATURAL PRODUCT REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Chinnathambi Pothiraj, Paulraj Balaji, Ramkumar Shanthi, Muthukrishnan Gobinath, Rangasamy Suresh Babu, Abdullah Al-Dosary Munirah, Atef Hatamleh Ashraf, Kamatchi Ramesh Kumar, Veeramani Veeramanikandan, Ramasubramanian Arumugam
Summary: This study investigated the potential of halophytes, such as Acanthus ilicifolius and Heliotropium curassavicum, in formulating new drugs, as they contain various bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and nutraceutical properties. The results showed that methanol extracts had the highest yield, and A. ilicifolius had a substantially greater phenolic concentration and antioxidant capacity compared to H. curassavicum. The antimicrobial assays demonstrated that E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and B. subtilis were significantly susceptible to both plant extracts.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Andrew Young, Ariel Isaacs, Connor A. P. Scott, Naphak Modhiran, Christopher L. D. McMillan, Stacey T. M. Cheung, Jennifer Barr, Glenn Marsh, Nazia Thakur, Dalan Bailey, Kenneth S. M. Li, Hayes K. H. Luk, Kin-Hang Kok, Susanna K. P. Lau, Patrick C. Y. Woo, Wakako Furuyama, Andrea Marzi, Paul R. Young, Keith J. Chappell, Daniel Watterson
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of vaccine platform technologies in combating emerging infectious diseases. In this study, the molecular clamp, a subunit vaccine platform technology, was used to develop vaccines for four different viruses. The results showed that the vaccines were stable and induced a neutralizing immune response. Animal studies also demonstrated that the vaccines provided protection against viral challenge.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Bikash Baral
Summary: The emergence of antibiotic resistance superbugs highlights the urgent need to address the global problem of antibiotic resistance. Among various methods, the development of supplemental therapies for antibiotics, such as bacteriophage therapy, could be a viable infection control option. However, the safe and regulated application of phage treatment requires extensive understanding of the characteristics and behavior of specific phage-bacterium systems. This mini-review provides an overview of the potential and challenges of phage therapy as an accepted infection management strategy.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
