Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yan-Yan Xie, Xiao-Tong Qin, Jiaxing Zhang, Mei-Yan Sun, Feng-Ping Wang, Meimei Huang, Shi-Ru Jia, Wei Qi, Yuefei Wang, Cheng Zhong
Summary: Molecular chirality plays a significant role in the self-assembly of antimicrobial peptides, ultimately affecting their antimicrobial activity. Heterochiral peptides exhibit more stable helical nanofibers and superior antimicrobial activity against bacteria, opening up possibilities for fabricating efficient antimicrobial materials by controlling the chirality and structure of the materials.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Sen Li, Meng Wang, Shengcong Chen, Maxwell Ampomah-Wireko, Chen Gao, Ziwei Xia, Lauraine Nininahazwe, Shangshang Qin, En Zhang
Summary: The development of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics has posed challenges in treating bacterial infections. In this study, a series of cationic compounds with different linkers were designed and synthesized, showing high antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The best compound, 3e, demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity and low hemolytic toxicity. Mechanism studies revealed its potential bactericidal mechanism and its ability to effectively reduce the load of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These findings highlight the significance of divergent linkers in antimicrobial peptide mimetics for treating bacterial infections.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Oktawian Stachurski, Damian Neubauer, Aleksandra Walewska, Emilia Ilowska, Marta Bauer, Sylwia Bartoszewska, Karol Sikora, Aleksandra Hac, Dariusz Wyrzykowski, Adam Prahl, Wojciech Kamysz, Emilia Sikorska
Summary: This study investigates short cationic antimicrobial lipopeptides with a high propensity to fibrillate, which exhibit high activity and stability on bacterial membranes, and low cytotoxicity against human cells. The findings suggest that monomers are the main active form and the target of action of the lipopeptides is the bacterial membrane.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Bo-Yuan Shen, Ming-Ming Wang, Shuai-Min Xu, Chen Gao, Meng Wang, Sen Li, Maxwell Ampomah-Wireko, Sheng-Cong Chen, Da-Chao Yan, Shangshang Qin, En Zhang
Summary: Bacterial resistance is a growing threat to public health, and the development of novel antibacterial strategies is critical. In this study, a series of chalcone-alkyl-lysine compounds were developed, mimicking the structure and properties of cationic antimicrobial peptides. Compound 6d showed potent antibacterial activity against various bacteria, including MRSA and NDM-positive isolates. The mechanism of action involved the destruction of bacterial cell membranes, leading to bacterial death. The compound also exhibited low toxicity in cell experiments.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ricardo Ribeiro, Eugenia Pinto, Carla Fernandes, Emilia Sousa
Summary: Marine cyclic peptides are a diverse group of compounds with broad antimicrobial activities, showing promising potential as novel therapeutic agents. These compounds have unique structural characteristics and have demonstrated interesting antimicrobial activities against drug-resistant microorganisms. Marine cyclic peptides are not only potent in vitro, but also show promising results in vivo, making them an important resource for the development of new antimicrobial agents.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yanchen Liu, Haoning Gong, Zhiwei Wang, Chengqian Yuan, Jianren Lu, Xuehai Yan
Summary: A new antimicrobial peptide hydrogel based on supramolecular self-assembly is developed, which exhibits strong antimicrobial activity against resistant strains and high cytocompatibility. The hydrogel also has immunoregulative activity and shows promising potential in treating skin abscess disease caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. This study not only provides insights into the design of supramolecular AMP hydrogels and their immune-related antimicrobial actions, but also advances the development of self-assembly peptide platforms to combat antimicrobial resistant infections.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andreia Boaro, Lucia Ageitos, Marcelo Der Torossian Torres, Esther Broset Blasco, Sebahat Oztekin, Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
Summary: By utilizing structure-function-guided design, natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) derived from venom can be converted into α-helical AMPs with reduced toxicity. These synthetic derivatives exhibit potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria and demonstrate efficacy in a mouse model by significantly reducing bacterial loads. Furthermore, they do not readily induce bacterial resistance.
CELL REPORTS PHYSICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mingcong Niu, Xiulian Gu, Jingyi Yang, Haoyu Cui, Xinyi Hou, Yue Ma, Chunhua Wang, Guangcheng Wei
Summary: Bacterial drug resistance is a serious issue, and the development of effective antibacterial drugs is urgently needed. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) show great potential as candidates for fighting bacteria. In this study, a series of AMPs with specific biological characteristics were designed and synthesized. Among them, the glycolipidpeptide GLP6 demonstrated excellent antibacterial and immunomodulatory activity, stability, biocompatibility, biofilm eradication, and membrane penetrating activity.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mingcong Niu, Xiulian Gu, Jingyi Yang, Haoyu Cui, Xinyi Hou, Yue Ma, Chunhua Wang, Guangcheng Wei
Summary: Bacterial drug resistance poses a serious threat, necessitating the development of effective antibacterial drugs. This study focused on the design and synthesis of glycolipidpeptides with excellent antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities, which exhibited sustained-release properties and combined sterilization effects. The results demonstrate the potential applications of this research.
Article
Immunology
Tanay Bhatt, Binita Dam, Sneha Uday Khedkar, Sahil Lall, Subhashini Pandey, Sunny Kataria, Johan Ajnabi, Shah-E-Jahan Gulzar, Paul M. Dias, Morris Waskar, Janhavi Raut, Varadharajan Sundaramurthy, Praveen Kumar Vemula, Naresh Ghatlia, Amitabha Majumdar, Colin Jamora
Summary: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants poses a threat to global vaccination programs, necessitating the exploration of additional strategies for containment. Human cathelicidin (LL37), an antimicrobial peptide, has been found to neutralize multiple strains of SARS-CoV-2 by disrupting the viral membrane. This antiviral activity can be enhanced by niacinamide, and there is an inverse correlation between LL37 levels and COVID-19 disease severity, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic avenue.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Barbara Claro, Antonio Peon, Eva Gonzalez-Freire, Erik Goormaghtigh, Manuel Amorin, Juan R. Granja, Rebeca Garcia-Fandino, Margarida Bastos
Summary: Antimicrobial D,L-alpha-cyclic peptides have shown to form complex macromolecular assemblies in the presence of membranes, depending on the negatively charged content of the membrane and lipid/peptide ratio. Experimental techniques and simulations suggest that CPs can self-assemble at the lipid surface into nanotubes or micellar aggregates, revealing possible mechanisms of action involving membrane segregation or disintegration.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Komal Sharma, Shams Aaghaz, Indresh Kumar Maurya, Krishna K. Sharma, Shreya Singh, Shivaprakash M. Rudramurthy, Vinod Kumar, Kulbhushan Tikoo, Rahul Jain
Summary: We used synthetic amino acids to design short peptide-based antibiotics. The designed peptides were synthesized using tautomerically restricted, amphiphilic 1-aryl-L-histidines and hydrophobic tryptophan. The peptides L-Trp-L-His(1-biphenyl)-NHBzl (12e, IC50 = 1.91μg/mL; MIC = 3.46μg/mL) and L-His[1-(4-n-butylphenyl)]-L-Trp-L-His[1-(4-n-butylphenyl)]-NHBzl (16d, IC50 = 1.36μg/mL; MIC = 2.46μg/mL) showed high potency against Cryptococcus neoformans. Peptides with moderate antibacterial activities (IC50s = 4.40-8.80μg/mL) were also found. The mechanism of action involved membrane disruption and DNA fragmentation, leading to cell death.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Danjing Yang, Liang Zhu, Xiangyu Lin, Jiaming Zhu, Yusheng Qian, Wenhui Liu, Jianjun Chen, Chuncai Zhou, Jing He
Summary: This study assesses the potent tumoricidal capacities of short amphiphilic triblock AMP analogues against human lung cancer cells and explores the underlying mechanism. The results demonstrate that precise modification of the peptides' primary sequences can modulate their tumoricidal potency, with positive charge and hydrophobicity as key driving forces. Among the peptides tested, K4F6K4 exhibits the most remarkable tumoricidal activity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Seray Sahsuvar, Tanil Kocagoz, Ozgul Gok, Ozge Can
Summary: Recent reports have highlighted the urgent need to prevent and control antibiotic resistance, which is considered one of the most dangerous threats to global health by the World Health Organization. In this study, novel antimicrobial peptide/polymer conjugates were developed to reduce the adverse effects of TN6 peptide. The constructs demonstrated high antimicrobial activity, low cytotoxicity, and resistance to proteases, indicating their potential as next-generation broad-spectrum antibiotic candidates for bacteremia and sepsis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Verity Baltutis, Paul D. O'Leary, Lisandra L. Martin
Summary: Antimicrobial peptides are a crucial defense mechanism of hosts against microbial assailants. They undergo a structural transition upon contact with membrane surfaces, leading to the destruction of microbes through detergent-like binding or formation of trans-membrane pores. Recent findings also suggest a potential link between self-assembled antimicrobial peptides and diseases like Alzheimer's disease. This review highlights the importance of studying the self-assembly of antimicrobial peptides into amyloid and its synergistic effect with the antimicrobial peptide response.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Konstantin A. Demin, Aleksandr G. Refeld, Anna A. Bogdanova, Evgenya V. Prazdnova, Igor V. Popov, Olga Yu. Kutsevalova, Alexey M. Ermakov, Anzhelica B. Bren, Dmitry V. Rudoy, Vladimir A. Chistyakov, Richard Weeks, Michael L. Chikindas
Summary: Pathogenic Candida and infections caused by those species are considered a serious threat to public health. Treatment of candidiasis is complicated by increasing resistance to current treatments and lack of development of new antimycotic drugs. Among synthetic antifungal drugs, azoles and echinocandins are effective, while the use of probiotic microorganisms to control the spread of pathogenic Candida species shows promise.
PROBIOTICS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Rachel Mahoney, Richard Weeks, Qingrong Huang, Weijie Dai, Yong Cao, Guo Liu, Yongjing Guo, Vladimir A. Chistyakov, Alexey M. Ermakov, Dmitry Rudoy, Anzhelika Bren, Igor Popov, Michael L. Chikindas
Summary: This study found that Lemna minor and Spirodela polyrhiza are suitable substrates for cultivating probiotic Bacillus strains, while a commercially processed duckweed product showed less favorable results. The Bacillus strains demonstrated health benefits for poultry and have the potential to enhance duckweed as an animal feed through fermentation.
PROBIOTICS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Astghik Z. Pepoyan, Elya S. Pepoyan, Lilit Galstyan, Natalya A. Harutyunyan, Vardan V. Tsaturyan, Tamas Torok, Alexey M. Ermakov, Igor V. Popov, Richard Weeks, Michael L. Chikindas
Summary: This study highlights the potential influence of sex-dependent differences on gut microbiota, specifically in relation to the Prevotella genus and its association with depressive disorders in FMF patients. It also demonstrates gender-specific effects of immunobiotic/psychobiotic intervention on gut Prevotella abundance and depression scores in FMF patients.
PROBIOTICS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Svetoslav Dimitrov Todorov, Iskra Vitanova Ivanova, Igor Popov, Richard Weeks, Michael Leonidas Chikindas
Summary: Representatives of the genus Bacillus are versatile microorganisms with widespread applications in traditional fermentation and modern biotechnology. They have numerous beneficial properties, serving as starter cultures for fermented foods, producers of enzymes, antibiotics, and bioactive peptides, and as probiotics for humans and animals. Despite their well-documented benefits, questions regarding their safety and spore formation in practical applications have been raised, prompting further exploration in this review.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Emma R. Brannon, William J. Kelley, Michael W. Newstead, Alison L. Banka, Kathryn E. Uhrich, Colleen E. O'Connor, Theodore J. Standiford, Omolola Eniola-Adefeso
Summary: A technology using Poly-Aspirin (Poly-A) polymer microparticles has been developed to intervene in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), reducing neutrophil-mediated lung injury and inflammation, and enhancing survival rates.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Evgeniya Prazdnova, Maria S. Mazanko, Vladimir A. Chistyakov, Anna A. Bogdanova, Aleksandr G. Refeld, Evgeniya Y. Kharchenko, Michael L. Chikindas
Summary: This study systematically compiles data on the antimutagenic activity of probiotics and emphasizes the significance of antimutagenic activity as a criterion for selecting probiotic strains.
PROBIOTICS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maria Falduto, Francesco Smedile, Man Zhang, Ting Zheng, Jieyu Zhu, Qingrong Huang, Richard Weeks, Alexey M. Ermakov, Michael L. Chikindas
Summary: The gut microbiota plays a significant role in human health, and its complex relationship with host health needs to be further studied. This study investigated the changes in the microbial community during treatment with Chenpi and found that Chenpi had a reversible effect on the human microbiome. Additionally, the study revealed the anti-obesity effect of a polymethoxyflavone (PMFs)-enriched Chenpi extract and laid the foundation for identifying "obesity-prevention" biomarkers in the gut microbiota.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Evgeniya V. Prazdnova, Andrey V. Gorovtsov, Nikita G. Vasilchenko, Maxim P. Kulikov, Varvara N. Statsenko, Anna A. Bogdanova, Alexandr G. Refeld, Yaroslav A. Brislavskiy, Vladimir A. Chistyakov, Michael L. Chikindas
Summary: This review focuses on the mechanisms of quorum-sensing suppression by Gram-positive microorganisms and its practical applications in food fermentation, probiotics, and biotechnology. It also discusses the possible evolutionary role of quorum-quenching mechanisms during the development of interspecies interactions of bacteria.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
M. S. Mazanko, E. Prazdnova, M. P. Kulikov, T. A. Maltseva, D. Rudoy, M. L. Chikindas
Summary: The initial screening of probiotic strains may overlook promising strains or misidentify strains that lose activity in vivo. This study modified the method for selecting probiotics and successfully identified three Lactobacillus strains that exhibit antioxidant and DNA-protective properties and maintain these activities in an artificial intestinal medium.
ENZYME AND MICROBIAL TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Maria S. Mazanko, Igor V. Popov, Evgeniya V. Prazdnova, Aleksandr G. Refeld, Anzhelica B. Bren, Galina A. Zelenkova, Vladimir A. Chistyakov, Ammar Algburi, Richard M. Weeks, Alexey M. Ermakov, Michael L. Chikindas
Summary: This study focused on evaluating the potential effects of probiotic strains isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of healthy chickens on broiler health, growth performance, and the immune system. The results showed that supplementation with Bacillus subtilis KB54 had the largest positive impact on broilers' health and growth performance.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sammy Gulrajani, Sabrina Snyder, Jason D. Hackenberg, Kathryn Uhrich
Summary: This is the first study to systematically evaluate the degradation of salicylic acid-based poly(anhydride-esters) (SAPAEs) under different pH conditions. The results show that degradation is faster under more basic conditions, while slower under acidic conditions.
JOURNAL OF BIOACTIVE AND COMPATIBLE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alison L. Banka, M. Valentina Guevara, Emma R. Brannon, Nhien Q. Nguyen, Shuang Song, Gillian Cady, David J. Pinsky, Kathryn E. Uhrich, Reheman Adili, Michael Holinstat, Omolola Eniola-Adefeso
Summary: The authors used cargo-free particles to block the adhesion of platelet-neutrophil aggregates to the vascular wall, potentially providing an effective therapy for thromboinflammation. Platelets are recruited to areas of inflammation through the interaction of PSGL-1 on leukocytes and P-selectin on activated platelets, leading to platelet-leukocyte aggregates that bind to the endothelium. In this study, polymeric particles were found to divert platelets away from inflamed blood vessels both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting their potential as anti-platelet therapeutics for thromboinflammatory conditions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Nanxia Zhao, Nicola L. Francis, Shuang Song, Vladyslav Kholodovych, Hannah R. Calvelli, Cody L. Hoop, Zhiping P. Pang, Jean Baum, Kathryn E. Uhrich, Prabhas Moghe
Summary: This study introduces a novel polymeric nanotechnology platform for modulating neuroinflammation by inhibiting aSYN-CD36 binding. Experimental results demonstrate that AM NPs with intermediate side chain lengths have the strongest inhibitory activity, reducing aSYN internalization and inhibiting the release of proinflammatory molecules.
ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Vijay Kumar, Bijender Singh, Marco J. van Belkum, Dzung B. Diep, Michael L. Chikindas, Alexey M. Ermakov, Santosh Kumar Tiwari
Summary: Haloarchaea have evolved to survive under extreme saline conditions by accumulating osmolytes and salts, resulting in proteins that remain active at high ionic strength. Halocins, which are antimicrobial substances produced by haloarchaea, are stable under extreme conditions and have potential biotechnological applications. Despite limited knowledge on their genetics, biosynthetic pathways, and mechanism of action, there is growing interest in exploring the therapeutic and food preservation applications of halocins.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Daniela Rubanova, Svitlana Skoroplyas, Alena Libanska, Eva Randarova, Josef Bryja, Michaela Chorvatova, Tomas Etrych, Lukas Kubala
Summary: This study explored the use of nanocarriers to deliver dexamethasone for treating rheumatoid arthritis. The results showed that this method increased the accumulation of dexamethasone in the arthritic area, had a dose-dependent healing effect, and reduced the accumulation of the RA mediator RANKL. This study provides a feasible strategy for improving rheumatoid arthritis therapy.
NANOMEDICINE-NANOTECHNOLOGY BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Thanpisit Lomphithak, Apiwit Sae-Fung, Simone Sprio, Anna Tampieri, Siriporn Jitkaew, Bengt Fadeel
Summary: In this study, iron-doped hydroxyapatite (FeHA) was evaluated as a potential nanomedicine approach for treating PDAC. The results showed that FeHA, in combination with a sublethal dose of the GPX4 inhibitor RSL3, could trigger ferroptosis in KRAS mutant PANC-1 cells while sparing normal human cells. The induction of ferroptosis by FeHA plus RSL3 was found to be dependent on the metalloreductase STEAP3 in PDAC cells.
NANOMEDICINE-NANOTECHNOLOGY BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2024)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Marco Felipe Salas-Orozco, Ana Cecilia Lorenzo-Leal, Idania de Alba Montero, Nuria Patino Marin, Miguel Angel Casillas Santana, Horacio Bach
Summary: The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in severe infections is a growing concern, particularly in hospital environments. Metal-based nanomaterials have shown potential as an alternative to combat these bacteria, but there is a risk of bacterial resistance and environmental accumulation.
NANOMEDICINE-NANOTECHNOLOGY BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2024)
