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Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry May 2024Pillararenes have gained great interest among researchers in many fields due to their symmetric structure and facile functionalization. In this review, we summarize... (Review)
Review
Pillararenes have gained great interest among researchers in many fields due to their symmetric structure and facile functionalization. In this review, we summarize recent progress for pillararenes as antimicrobial agents, ranging from cationic pillararenes and peptide-modified pillararenes to sugar-functionalized pillararenes. Moreover, their structure-activity relationships are presented, and their mechanisms of action are discussed. As a state-of-the-art technology, their opportunities and outlook are also outlined in this emerging field. Overall, their potent inhibitory activity and high biocompatibility give them potential for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Humans; Structure-Activity Relationship; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Bacteria; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Molecular Structure
PubMed: 38727528
DOI: 10.1039/d4ob00396a -
Advances in Colloid and Interface... Oct 2017Interactions between nanoparticles and biological membranes are attracting increasing attention in current nanomedicine, and play a key role both for nanotoxicology and... (Review)
Review
Interactions between nanoparticles and biological membranes are attracting increasing attention in current nanomedicine, and play a key role both for nanotoxicology and for utilizing nanomaterials in diagnostics, drug delivery, functional biomaterials, as well as combinations of these, e.g., in theranostics. In addition, there is considerable current interest in the use of nanomaterials as antimicrobial agents, motivated by increasing resistance development against conventional antibiotics. Here, various nanomaterials offer opportunities for triggered functionalites to combat challenging infections. Although the performance in these diverse applications is governed by a complex interplay between the nanomaterial, the properties of included drugs (if any), and the biological system, nanoparticle-membrane interactions constitute a key initial step and play a key role for the subsequent biological response. In the present overview, the current understanding of inorganic nanomaterials as antimicrobial agents is outlined, with special focus on the interplay between antimicrobial effects and membrane interactions, and how membrane interactions and antimicrobial effects of such materials depend on nanoparticle properties, membrane composition, and external (e.g., light and magnetic) fields.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Cell Membrane; Humans; Inorganic Chemicals; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 28807368
DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2017.07.029 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Jun 2015Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have received tremendous attention due to their significant antimicrobial properties. Large numbers of reports are available on the... (Review)
Review
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have received tremendous attention due to their significant antimicrobial properties. Large numbers of reports are available on the physical, chemical, and biological syntheses of colloidal AgNPs. Since there is a great need to develop ecofriendly and sustainable methods, biological systems like bacteria, fungi, and plants are being employed to synthesize these nanoparticles. The present review focuses specifically on bacteria-mediated synthesis of AgNPs, its mechanism, and applications. Bacterial synthesis of extra- and intracellular AgNPs has been reported using biomass, supernatant, cell-free extract, and derived components. The extracellular mode of synthesis is preferred over the intracellular mode owing to easy recovery of nanoparticles. Silver-resistant genes, c-type cytochromes, peptides, cellular enzymes like nitrate reductase, and reducing cofactors play significant roles in AgNP synthesis in bacteria. Organic materials released by bacteria act as natural capping and stabilizing agents for AgNPs, thereby preventing their aggregation and providing stability for a longer time. Regulation over reaction conditions has been suggested to control the morphology, dispersion, and yield of nanoparticles. Bacterial AgNPs have anticancer and antioxidant properties. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of AgNPs in combination with antibiotics signifies their importance in combating the multidrug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms. Multiple microbicidal mechanisms exhibited by AgNPs, depending upon their size and shape, make them very promising as novel nanoantibiotics.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Antioxidants; Bacteria; Biotechnology; Nanoparticles; Silver
PubMed: 25952110
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-6622-1 -
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2017Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are peptide-based effector molecules produced by the innate immune system to combat microbes. Insects produce the broadest repertoire of... (Review)
Review
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are peptide-based effector molecules produced by the innate immune system to combat microbes. Insects produce the broadest repertoire of AMPs, and their potent antimicrobial activity in vitro and in vivo has promoted their development as alternatives to conventional antibiotics, in an attempt to address the threat of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Here we discuss current obstacles that hinder the therapeutic development of novel insect-derived AMPs, including potential cytotoxic, immunogenic and allergenic side effects, and the high costs of large-scale production. These challenges may be overcome by the falling costs of synthetic peptide analogs and the heterologous production of recombinant peptides in insect cells or plants (molecular pharming). Insect AMPs offer a promising alternative for the treatment of skin, eye and lung infections, and could also restore the susceptibility of multidrug-resistant pathogens to conventional antibiotics when used as combinatorial treatments. Insect AMPs can also be used as templates for the rational design of peptide mimetics to overcome the drawbacks of natural therapeutic peptides.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Insecta; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Peptides
PubMed: 27411327
DOI: 10.2174/1568026616666160713123654 -
BioMed Research International 2015Bioactive peptides are part of an innate response elicited by most living forms. In plants, they are produced ubiquitously in roots, seeds, flowers, stems, and leaves,... (Review)
Review
Bioactive peptides are part of an innate response elicited by most living forms. In plants, they are produced ubiquitously in roots, seeds, flowers, stems, and leaves, highlighting their physiological importance. While most of the bioactive peptides produced in plants possess microbicide properties, there is evidence that they are also involved in cellular signaling. Structurally, there is an overall similarity when comparing them with those derived from animal or insect sources. The biological action of bioactive peptides initiates with the binding to the target membrane followed in most cases by membrane permeabilization and rupture. Here we present an overview of what is currently known about bioactive peptides from plants, focusing on their antimicrobial activity and their role in the plant signaling network and offering perspectives on their potential application.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Hydrolysis; Peptides; Plants; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 25815307
DOI: 10.1155/2015/102129 -
Current Medicinal Chemistry 2021Vaginal drug delivery offers an opportunity for effective microbicide treatments. However, the physiological characteristics of the vagina represent a challenge when... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Vaginal drug delivery offers an opportunity for effective microbicide treatments. However, the physiological characteristics of the vagina represent a challenge when preparing microbicide formulations for local delivery that avoid systemic effects.
OBJECTIVE
To review recent advances in vaginal microbicides placing special emphasis on nanocarriers that encapsulate peptide microbicides. The review includes an overview of local treatment and prevention strategies for bactericidal, fungal, protozoal and viral vaginal infections that use peptide microbicides.
METHODS
Scientific literature and clinical trials published in the PubMed database since 2015 are analyzed.
RESULT
Peptide microbicides are used for vaginal drug delivery as a means of prevention and treatment of several infectious diseases, especially sexually transmitted infections, and it is clear that such peptide-based microbicides constitute a suitable strategy. Their combination with nanotechnological drug delivery systems improves local peptide administration while avoiding their degradation and adverse effects. To date, only a few polymeric and lipid-based nanocarriers have been used for peptide microbicide vaginal delivery.
CONCLUSION
The combination of nanotechnology and peptide microbicides has emerged over recent years, and different platforms are being used for vaginal peptide delivery. Nanostructured systems for peptide delivery via vaginal rings or hydrogels are increasingly used as platforms capable of providing suitable drug delivery. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about nanocarriers aimed at encapsulating peptides for local microbicide delivery.
Topics: Administration, Intravaginal; Anti-Infective Agents; Delivery, Obstetric; Female; HIV Infections; Humans; Nanotechnology; Peptides; Pregnancy
PubMed: 33297908
DOI: 10.2174/0929867328666201209095753 -
Journal of Leukocyte Biology Jul 2020Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in blood. From the circulation, they are quickly mobilized to sites of inflammation and/or infection. At the affected... (Review)
Review
Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in blood. From the circulation, they are quickly mobilized to sites of inflammation and/or infection. At the affected tissues, neutrophils display an impressive array of antimicrobial functions, including degranulation, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), phagocytosis, and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET). Because neutrophils are the first type of leukocytes to arrive at affected tissues and display potent microbicidal functions, they have been classically viewed as the first line of defense. In this view, neutrophils only destroy invading pathogens and then quietly die at the site of infection. However, in the last decade it has become increasingly evident that neutrophils are much more complex cells having not only effector functions in the innate immune response, but also the capacity of modulating the adaptive immune response, via direct interaction with, or by producing cytokines that affect dendritic cells and lymphocytes. In addition, neutrophil heterogeneity with clear different functional phenotypes has been recently described particularly in cancer and inflammation. This review provides an overview on the life of a neutrophil describing its beginnings, lifespan, and their principal functions in innate and adaptive immunity. Also, neutrophil heterogeneity and our current understanding of neutrophil contributions to health and disease are discussed.
Topics: Adaptive Immunity; Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Cell Adhesion; Homeostasis; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Neutrophils
PubMed: 32202340
DOI: 10.1002/JLB.4MIR0220-574RR -
Nature Reviews. Microbiology Oct 2015As foundations and governments mobilize to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), several experiments in academic-industrial collaboration have emerged. Here, I examine... (Review)
Review
As foundations and governments mobilize to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), several experiments in academic-industrial collaboration have emerged. Here, I examine two historical precedents, the Penicillin Project and the Malaria Project of the Second World War, and two contemporary examples, the Tuberculosis Drug Accelerator programme and the Tres Cantos Open Lab. These and related experiments suggest that different strategies can be effective in managing academic-industrial collaborations, and that such joint projects can prosper in both multisite and single-site forms, depending on the specific challenges and goals of each project. The success of these strategies and the crisis of AMR warrant additional investment in similar projects.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Antimalarials; Antitubercular Agents; Cooperative Behavior; Drug Discovery; Europe; History, 20th Century; Interinstitutional Relations; Public-Private Sector Partnerships; United States
PubMed: 26373373
DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro3523 -
Protein and Peptide Letters 2021The development of effective technologies to cope with persistent and progressive global problems in human health and sustainable development has become an imperative... (Review)
Review
The development of effective technologies to cope with persistent and progressive global problems in human health and sustainable development has become an imperative worldwide challenge. The search for natural alternatives has led to the discovery of bacteriocins, which are potent protein antimicrobial compounds produced by most bacteria. The relevance of these molecules is evidenced by more than 4,500 papers published in the last decade in Scopus indexed journals highlighting their versatility and potential to impact various aspects of daily life, including the food industry, medicine, and agriculture. Bacteriocins have demonstrated antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anticancer activities, and they also act as microbiota regulators and plant growth promoters. This mini-review aims to provide insights into the current state and emerging roles of bacteriocins, as well as their potential and limitations as feasible solutions against current diverse global problems.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Bacteriocins; Humans
PubMed: 34629038
DOI: 10.2174/0929866528666211008154430 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2021A lichen is a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and a photosynthetic organism, which is algae or cyanobacteria. Endolichenic fungi are a group of microfungi that... (Review)
Review
A lichen is a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and a photosynthetic organism, which is algae or cyanobacteria. Endolichenic fungi are a group of microfungi that resides asymptomatically within the thalli of lichens. Endolichenic fungi can be recognized as luxuriant metabolic artists that produce propitious bioactive secondary metabolites. More than any other time, there is a worldwide search for new antibiotics due to the alarming increase in microbial resistance against the currently available therapeutics. Even though a few antimicrobial compounds have been isolated from endolichenic fungi, most of them have moderate activities, implying the need for further structural optimizations. Recognizing this timely need and the significance of endolichenic fungi as a promising source of antimicrobial compounds, the activity, sources and the structures of 31 antibacterial compounds, 58 antifungal compounds, two antiviral compounds and one antiplasmodial (antimalarial) compound are summarized in this review. In addition, an overview of the common scaffolds and structural features leading to the corresponding antimicrobial properties is provided as an aid for future studies. The current challenges and major drawbacks of research related to endolichenic fungi and the remedies for them have been suggested.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Lichens
PubMed: 34202392
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26133901