Review
Microbiology
Allison H. Shannon, Sara A. Adelman, Erin A. Hisey, Sanskruti S. Potnis, Vanessa Rozo, Madeline W. Yung, Jennifer Y. Li, Christopher J. Murphy, Sara M. Thomasy, Brian C. Leonard
Summary: Microbial keratitis is a common eye condition that causes pain and visual impairment worldwide. Current treatment with antimicrobial drugs is often limited due to high rates of pathogen resistance. Recent studies suggest that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found on the ocular surface could be potential therapeutic agents for microbial keratitis.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Leisha McGrath, Joan O'Keeffe, Orla Slattery
Summary: This study investigated the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes in healthy Atlantic salmon and compared the expression in salmon challenged with Neoparamoeba perurans. The results showed significant upregulation of beta-defensins and cathelicidins in the gills of parasite-challenged salmon, suggesting potential novel roles in innate immune responses to Neoparamoeba perurans.
DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Amandda Evelin Silva-Carvalho, Marlon Henrique Cardoso, Thuany Alencar-Silva, Gabriela Muller Reche Bogea, Juliana Lott Carvalho, Octavio Luiz Franco, Felipe Saldanha-Araujo
Summary: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the ability to control the immune response and fight pathogen infection through the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). These AMPs exhibit activity against a wide range of microorganisms and also interact with MSCs to modulate their functions. Therefore, utilizing the antimicrobial properties of MSCs in clinical therapy holds great potential.
PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Munjeong Choi, Hye-Sun Cho, Byeongyong Ahn, Somasundaram Prathap, Soundrarajan Nagasundarapandian, Chankyu Park
Summary: This study analyzed the genetic variations and biological characteristics of bat cathelicidins and identified 19 cathelicidin-like sequences in seven bat species. The number of functional cathelicidin genes differed among bat species. Three cathelicidins with clear antimicrobial signatures were chemically synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. ML-CATH and PD-CATH showed potent antibacterial and antifungal activities with minimal cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. ML-CATH and PD-CATH can be potential candidates for the development of antimicrobial therapeutics.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Darren Shu Jeng Ting, Jianguo Li, Chandra S. Verma, Eunice T. L. Goh, Mario Nubile, Leonardo Mastropasqua, Dalia G. Said, Roger W. Beuerman, Rajamani Lakshminarayanan, Imran Mohammed, Harminder S. Dua
Summary: CaD23 is a novel synthetic HDP with strong antimicrobial efficacy, especially in combination with antibiotics. Its rapid antimicrobial action is mainly attributed to its membrane-permeabilising mechanism, and MD simulations are useful for elucidating its mechanism of action and guiding design optimization.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joanna Tokajuk, Piotr Deptula, Ewelina Piktel, Tamara Daniluk, Sylwia Chmielewska, Tomasz Wollny, Przemyslaw Wolak, Krzysztof Fiedoruk, Robert Bucki
Summary: The mechanisms for maintaining oral cavity homeostasis are influenced by environmental factors, and the oral microbiota and immune molecules play important roles. The LL-37 peptide is involved in maintaining microbial balance and is associated with the development of oral pathologies and systemic diseases.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kornelius Zeth, Enea Sancho-Vaello
Summary: The human cathelicidin LL-37 is a versatile peptide with antimicrobial activity, playing a crucial role in targeting microorganisms. Recent structural studies have revealed the diversity and adaptability of LL-37 in interacting with lipid-like molecules. Complexes of LL-37 with detergents provide insights into mimicking lipids and inducing oligomerization and fibrillation, opening avenues for designing LL-37-derived peptides with enhanced antibiotic properties.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Bruno Rivas-Santiago, Yolanda Jacobo-Delgado, Adrian Rodriguez-Carlos
Summary: Host defense peptides, initially named to refer to host immunity peptides, are now seen as a potential solution to combat drug-resistant microorganisms and emerging viruses like coronaviruses, due to their broad antimicrobial capacity and immunomodulatory activity. This review assesses whether these peptides and their derivatives are prepared to be part of the treatment for the next coronavirus pandemic, given the history of coronavirus outbreaks and pandemics in the 21st century.
ARCHIVUM IMMUNOLOGIAE ET THERAPIAE EXPERIMENTALIS
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Enqin Wu, Jiaxing Zhu, Zhiyuan Ma, Biguang Tuo, Shuji Terai, Kenichi Mizuno, Taolang Li, Xuemei Liu
Summary: Alarmins serve as early warning signals to the immune system, participating in the damage and repair processes of mucosal diseases. Gastric release of alarmins is involved in inflammation, immune response, and wound healing, but it also causes the development of gastric mucosal diseases.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Piotr Brzoza, Urszula Godlewska, Arkadiusz Borek, Agnieszka Morytko, Aneta Zegar, Patrycja Kwiecinska, Brian A. Zabel, Artur Osyczka, Mateusz Kwitniewski, Joanna Cichy
Summary: This review focuses on exploring cysteine-based redox active antimicrobial proteins/peptides in the skin and intestine, discussing the causal links between different redox environments of these barrier tissues and the ability of AMPs to control cutaneous and intestinal microbes, and highlighting how bacteria can influence the bactericidal potential of redox-sensitive AMPs through intrinsic mechanisms.
Article
Microbiology
Vanessa Duncan, Daniel Smith, Laura Simpson, Emma Lovie, Laura Katvars, Leon Berge, Jennifer Robertson, Shane Smith, Carol Munro, Derry Mercer, Deborah O'Neil
Summary: Fungi cause disease in nearly one billion individuals worldwide, and current antifungal agents face challenges such as emerging and drug-resistant fungi, toxicity, and drug-drug interactions. The development of NP339, a polyarginine peptide with potent antifungal activity against various pathogenic fungi, presents a promising solution to these challenges. NP339 targets fungal cell membranes specifically, demonstrating rapid fungicidal activity without inducing resistance, suggesting its potential as a differentiated antifungal candidate for serious fungal diseases.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Mahsa Abbasi, Esmail Behmard, Mohammad Hashem Yousefi, Seyed Shahram Shekarforoush, Shirin Mahmoodi
Summary: Antibiotic-resistant pathogens have become a global health concern, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) show promising potential as effective treatments against drug-resistant microorganisms. This study successfully fused the amino acid sequences of human cathelicidin LL-37 (2-31) and human beta-defensin (hBD)-129 to create a novel AMP. The fusion AMP exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria.
ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fatai Lu, Yingkang Zhu, Guodong Zhang, Zunpeng Liu
Summary: This article discusses the diverse effects of antimicrobial peptide LL37 in host defense, including antibacterial properties, tissue repair, and inflammatory responses, and explores its complex role in promoting or inhibiting tumor growth. The strategies to enhance delivery of this peptide and selectivity for cancer cells are also discussed.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ga-Hyun Son, Jae-Jun Lee, Youngmi Kim, Keun-Young Lee
Summary: The article describes the role of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in preterm births (PTBs), focusing on the changes of AMPs in the development of the disease, and proposing new perspectives on the role of AMPs in PTB.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Virology
Jessica M. Porter, Mackenzi S. Oswald, Anjali Sharma, Shanan Emmanuel, Austin Kansol, Antonette Bennett, Robert McKenna, Jason G. Smith
Summary: Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are potential gene therapy vectors but are hindered by interactions with the host immune system. This study investigates the interaction between AAVs and alpha-defensins and finds that two closely related AAV serotypes, AAV1 and AAV6, exhibit different sensitivities to inhibition by alpha-defensins due to a single amino acid variation. These findings provide insights into the mechanism of immune defense against AAVs and offer possibilities for designing more efficient vectors.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mehrdad Ghashghaeinia, Ulrich Mrowietz, Peter Dreischer, Martin Koeberle
Article
Microbiology
Yacine Amar, Ilias Lagkouvardos, Rafaela L. Silva, Oluwaseun Ayodeji Ishola, Baerbel U. Foesel, Susanne Kublik, Anne Schoeler, Sebastian Niedermeier, Rachela Bleuel, Alexander Zink, Klaus Neuhaus, Michael Schloter, Tilo Biedermann, Martin Koeberle
Summary: The Benzonase-based approach (BDA) was investigated in this study to pre-digest unprotected DNA of dead microbial cells, offering a more accurate assessment of the living microbiome and depletion of host DNA reads. The method resulted in less reads from dead bacteria and efficiently depleted host DNA reads in samples with high human-to-microbial DNA ratios.
Article
Dermatology
Y. Amar, E. Schneider, M. Koberle, T. Seeholzer, S. Musiol, I. M. Hoelge, S. Gschwendtner, D. Krappmann, K. Steiger, T. Biedermann, C. B. Schmidt-Weber, F. Alessandrini
Summary: This study analyzed the skin microbiome of two commonly used murine models for atopic dermatitis (AD) and found similarities in dysbiosis with human AD. These findings are important for translational research on AD with a focus on the microbiome.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY AND VENEREOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Christina Lemberg, Kontxi Martinez de San Vicente, Ricardo Frois-Martins, Simon Altmeier, Van Du T. Tran, Sarah Mertens, Sara Amorim-Vaz, Laxmi Shanker Rai, Christophe D'Enfert, Marco Pagni, Dominique Sanglard, Salome LeibundGut-Landmann
Summary: The fungus Candida albicans colonizes the oral cavity and maintains a commensal relationship with the host by inhibiting filamentation and virulence gene expression, and adapting to nutrient-poor conditions. Understanding the determinants of commensalism in the oral cavity can provide insights into the prevention and treatment of oral diseases caused by C. albicans.
Article
Cell Biology
Caterina Iuliano, Magdalena Absmaier-Kijak, Tobias Sinnberg, Nils Hoffard, Miriam Hils, Martin Koeberle, Florian Woelbing, Ekaterina Shumilina, Nicole Heise, Birgit Fehrenbacher, Martin Schaller, Florian Lang, Susanne Kaesler, Tilo Biedermann
Summary: Bone-marrow-derived mast cells are used as in vitro models to study mast cells and their role in health and disease. However, in vivo studies have shown that mast cells derived from different tissues have distinct phenotypes and signatures. Fetal skin mast cells (FSMC) were found to be the most developed and most similar to mature connective tissue mast cells (CTMC).
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sarah Preis, Lea Schmidt, Linda Tizek, Maximilian Schielein, Viktoria Lang, Rachela Bleuel, Anna Duswald, Sebastian Sitaru, Annette Blasini, Christine Gasteiger, Lennard Merdha, Zsuzsanna Kurgyis, Bettina Kuschel, Evelyn Hauenstein, Maximilian Sander, Sebastian Niedermeier, Desiree Argiriu, Sabrina Engel, Yuliya Skabytska, Rafaela L. Silva, Miriam Hils, Beatrix Evers, Susanne Kaesler, Hanna Hufnagel, Martin Koeberle, Yacine Amar, Alexander Zink, Tilo Biedermann
Summary: This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the relationship between environmental determinants and the risk of developing atopic dermatitis (AD) in the first four years of a child's life, including individual microbiome and immune responses. Through clinical research and biochemical analysis, the researchers hope to identify different risk factors for AD onset and exacerbation, as well as relevant biomarkers.
Article
Dermatology
Julia Felicitas Pilz, Martin Koeberle, Alphina Kain, Peter Seidl, Alexander Zink, Tilo Biedermann, Anna Caroline Pilz
Summary: This study aims to analyze the proportion of Trichophyton tonsurans infections in the dermatology department of a large university hospital in Germany from 2019 to 2022 and thoroughly characterize the affected patient population. The results show that in 2022, 20.7% of the dermatophyte culture-positive patients tested positive for Trichophyton tonsurans, which is a tenfold increase from 2019. Contact sports were practiced by only 21.7% of patients, and no common hotspot or other linkage could be identified between the cases. The study suggests an increase of Trichophyton tonsurans infections through several routes of transmission.
Article
Cell Biology
Xia Pan, Daniela Giustarini, Florian Lang, Ranieri Rossi, Thomas Wieder, Martin Koeberle, Mehrdad Ghashghaeinia
Summary: In this study, we found that desipramine, a representative of tricyclic antidepressants, promotes recovery of depressed patients by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. Additionally, desipramine enhances programmed erythrocyte death through calcium ion regulation.
Article
Microbiology
Yacine Amar, Danielle Rogner, Rafaela L. Silva, Baerbel U. Foesel, Minhaz Ud-Dean, Ilias Lagkouvardos, Susanne A. Steimle-Grauer, Sebastian Niedermeier, Susanne Kublik, Manja Jargosch, Matthias Heinig, Jenny Thomas, Stefanie Eyerich, Jakob Wikstrom, Michael Schloter, Kilian Eyerich, Tilo Biedermann, Martin Koeberle
Summary: This study investigated the skin microbiome in patients with Darier's disease using a metabarcoding approach and found a disease-specific microbiome with reduced diversity and beneficial commensals. The presence of inflammation-associated microbes correlated with disease severity, and dysbiosis was characterized by an abundance of certain bacterial species associated with malodour. Transcriptome analyses revealed upregulation of repair, inflammatory, and immune defense pathways, suggesting epithelial and immune response mechanisms to the dysbiotic microbiome. Barrier genes were downregulated.
Meeting Abstract
Dermatology
Y. Amar, D. Boehmer, R. Silva, S. Niedermeier, B. Foesel, S. Kublik, M. Schloter, T. Biedermann, M. Koeberle
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Allergy
Sarah Preis, Linda Tizek, Maximilian Schielein, Susanne Kaesler, Martin Koeberle, Alexander Zink, Tilo Biedermann
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Dermatology
Y. Amar, E. Schneider, M. Koeberle, T. Seeholzer, S. Musiol, I. M. Hoelge, S. Gschwendtner, D. Krappmann, T. Biedermann, C. Schmidt-Weber, F. Alessandrini
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Dermatology
M. Ghashghaeinia, M. Koeberle, U. Mrowietz, I. Bernhardt
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Meeting Abstract
Dermatology
Y. Amar, D. Boehmer, B. Foesel, M. Jargosch, J. Thomas, R. Batra, R. Silva, S. Niedermeier, S. Kublik, S. Eyerich, J. Wikstrom, M. Schloter, K. Eyerich, T. Biedermann, M. Koeberle
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Roman Mehling, Johannes Schwenck, Christina Lemberg, Christoph Trautwein, Laimdota Zizmare, Daniela Kramer, Anne Mueller, Birgit Fehrenbacher, Irene Gonzalez-Menendez, Leticia Quintanilla-Martinez, Katrin Schroeder, Ralph P. Brandes, Martin Schaller, Wolfram Ruf, Martin Eichner, Kamran Ghoreschi, Martin Roecken, Bernd J. Pichler, Manfred Kneilling
Summary: ROS/RNS play a dominant role in acute and chronic delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions, with MPO and NOX2 identified as the main sources. However, depletion of only one primary source has marginal and conflicting effects on the outcomes of acute and chronic diseases, demonstrating that ROS/RNS are not a singular entity with different properties at various disease stages.
Article
Dermatology
Matthew J. Davis, Gokul Srinivasan, Rachael Chacko, Sophie Chen, Anish Suvarna, Louis J. Vaickus, Veronica C. Torres, Sassan Hodge, Eunice Y. Chen, Sarah Preum, Kimberley S. Samkoe, Brock C. Christensen, Matthew R. Leboeuf, Joshua J. Levy
Summary: The development and application of AI algorithms are of great significance for the removal of cSCC, as they can improve operational efficiency and accuracy, especially for moderately and poorly differentiated tumors/ neoplasms. Further improvement is needed to maintain sensitivity to surrounding tissue and determine anatomical positioning.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Dermatology
Lingjing Chen, Qing Yu, Feiying Guo, Xuewen Wang, Zhenying Cai, Qiang Zhou
Summary: This study investigated the role and mechanisms of NTS in stress-induced hair growth inhibition. The results demonstrated that NTS effectively counteracted hair growth inhibition caused by stress and regulated the expression of multiple genes related to hair growth at the transcriptional level.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2024)