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BIOL
GDEGLI EUCARIOTI
M
DI INTERESSE B
BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE
M
GDEGLI EUCARIOTI
M
DI INTERESSE B
PASTEUR INSTITUTE SEMINAR SERIES
w
How to squash the “superbug” Pseudomonas aeruginosa? A lesson from the
amphibian skin-derived Esculentin(1-21) and its diastereomer
Prof. Maria Luisa Mangoni
Giovedì 18 Gennaio, ore 14:00
presso l'Aula Magna Viale Regina Elena 295
Dip Scienze Biochimiche "A. Rossi Fanelli" Sapienza Università e Istituto Pasteur italia
The alarming rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” represents an increasingly serious threat to global public health. Among microbial pathogens for which new
anti-infective agents are urgently needed there is the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We discovered that the frog skin-derived cationic
antimicrobial peptide Esc(1-21) has (i) rapid killing kinetics against both free-living and biofilm forms of P. aeruginosa, with membrane-perturbing activity as a
plausible mode of action which limits the emergence of resistance; (ii) the capability to reduce bacterial load within the lungs or the cornea of murine models
of Pseudomonas-induced pneumonia or keratitis, respectively; (iii) the ability to stimulate migration of bronchial epithelial cells and, as a result, presumably to
accelerate the recovery of an injured bronchial epithelium. Furthermore, a diastereomer of Esc(1-21), containing two D-amino acids was found to be less cytotoxic; more stable and with a better in vivo efficacy. We also demonstrated that conjugation of Esc(1-21) to gold-nanoparticles significantly increases the microbicidal activity of the peptide without being harmful to mammalian cells. Overall, these peptides represent attractive alternatives for local treatment of
Pseudomonas-associated infections.
per informazioni: [email protected]
