Derivatives of the Frog-Skin Peptide Esculentin-1a with Promising activity Against Infections Induced by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
Maria Luisa Mangoni
Associate Professor, University of Rome
Maria Luisa Mangoni (1), Alison M. McDermott (2), Y. Peter Di (3)
(1)Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur-Italia Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, ITALY; (2)College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, USA; (3)Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen causing a variety of infections including pneumonia in cystic fibrosis sufferers; microbial keratitis in contact lens wearers as well as infected skin wounds. We investigated the anti-pseudomonal efficacy of a frog skin-derived AMP, Esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2, [Esc(1-21)]. Our results revealed that it has (i) rapid killing kinetics against both free-living and biofilm forms of this pathogen, with a membrane-perturbing activity as a plausible mode of action limiting the emergence of resistance; (ii) the capability to preserve its bactericidal activity in physiological environments; (iii) the ability to induce migration of bronchial epithelial cells and presumably to accelerate the recovery of an injured bronchial epithelium without being cytotoxic. Overall, Esc(1-21) and its derivatives represent attractive alternatives for local treatment of Pseudomonas-associated infections.
This work was supported by grants from Sapienza University of Rome; the Italian Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation (Project FFC#11/2014); NIH (EY13175; EY07551)