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Mangoni ML, Loffredo MR, Casciaro B, Ferrera L, Cappiello F. An Overview of Frog Skin-Derived Esc Peptides: Promising Multifunctional Weapons against Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Induced Pulmonary and Ocular Surface Infections. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4400. [PMID: 38673985 PMCID: PMC11049899 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a silent pandemic harming human health, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common bacterium responsible for chronic pulmonary and eye infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. In this review, the in vitro/in vivo activities of the frog skin-derived AMP Esc(1-21) are shown. Esc(1-21) rapidly kills both the planktonic and sessile forms of P. aeruginosa and stimulates migration of epithelial cells, likely favoring repair of damaged tissue. However, to undertake preclinical studies, some drawbacks of AMPs (cytotoxicity, poor biostability, and limited delivery to the target site) must be overcome. For this purpose, the stereochemistry of two amino acids of Esc(1-21) was changed to obtain the diastereomer Esc(1-21)-1c, which is more stable, less cytotoxic, and more efficient in treating P. aeruginosa-induced lung and cornea infections in mouse models. Incorporation of these peptides (Esc peptides) into nanoparticles or immobilization to a medical device (contact lens) was revealed to be an effective strategy to ameliorate and/or to prolong the peptides' antimicrobial efficacy. Overall, these data make Esc peptides encouraging candidates for novel multifunctional drugs to treat lung pathology especially in patients with cystic fibrosis and eye dysfunctions, characterized by both tissue injury and bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Loffredo
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Casciaro
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Loretta Ferrera
- UOC Genetica Medica, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Floriana Cappiello
- Laboratory Affiliated to Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Bellavita R, Maione A, Braccia S, Sinoca M, Galdiero S, Galdiero E, Falanga A. Myxinidin-Derived Peptide against Biofilms Caused by Cystic Fibrosis Emerging Pathogens. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043092. [PMID: 36834512 PMCID: PMC9964602 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are triggered by multidrug-resistant bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The CF airways are considered ideal sites for the colonization and growth of bacteria and fungi that favor the formation of mixed biofilms that are difficult to treat. The inefficacy of traditional antibiotics reinforces the need to find novel molecules able to fight these chronic infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a promising alternative for their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities. We developed a more serum-stable version of the peptide WMR (WMR-4) and investigated its ability to inhibit and eradicate C. albicans, S. maltophilia, and A. xylosoxidans biofilms in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Our results suggest that the peptide is able better to inhibit than to eradicate both mono and dual-species biofilms, which is further confirmed by the downregulation of some genes involved in biofilm formation or in quorum-sensing signaling. Biophysical data help to elucidate its mode of action, showing a strong interaction of WMR-4 with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its insertion in liposomes mimicking Gram-negative and Candida membranes. Our results support the promising therapeutic application of AMPs in the treatment of mono- and dual-species biofilms during chronic infections in CF patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Bellavita
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Maione
- Department of Biology, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Simone Braccia
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Marica Sinoca
- Department of Biology, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Emilia Galdiero
- Department of Biology, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Annarita Falanga
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Via dell’ Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-081-253-4525
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Ravatin M, Odolczyk N, Servel N, Guijarro JI, Tagat E, Chevalier B, Baatallah N, Corringer PJ, Lukács GL, Edelman A, Zielenkiewicz P, Chambard JM, Hinzpeter A, Faure G. Design of Crotoxin-Based Peptides with Potentiator Activity Targeting the ΔF508NBD1 Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167929. [PMID: 36566799 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We have previously shown that the CBb subunit of crotoxin, a β-neurotoxin with phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity, targets the human ΔF508CFTR chloride channel implicated in cystic fibrosis (CF). By direct binding to the nucleotide binding domain 1 (NBD1) of ΔF508CFTR, this neurotoxic PLA2 acts as a potentiator increasing chloride channel current and corrects the trafficking defect of misfolded ΔF508CFTR inside the cell. Here, for a therapeutics development of new anti-cystic fibrosis agents, we use a structure-based in silico approach to design peptides mimicking the CBb-ΔF508NBD1 interface. Combining biophysical and electrophysiological methods, we identify several peptides that interact with the ΔF508NBD1 domain and reveal their effects as potentiators on phosphorylated ΔF508CFTR. Moreover, protein-peptide interactions and electrophysiological studies allowed us to identify key residues of ΔF508NBD1 governing the interactions with the novel potentiators. The designed peptides bind to the same region as CBb phospholipase A2 on ΔF508NBD1 and potentiate chloride channel activity. Certain peptides also show an additive effect towards the clinically approved VX-770 potentiator. The identified CF therapeutics peptides represent a novel class of CFTR potentiators and illustrate a strategy leading to reproducing the effect of specific protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Ravatin
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Récepteurs-Canaux, Département de Neuroscience, 25, rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France; Sanofi, R&D, Integrated Drug Discovery, In Vitro Biology, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Norbert Odolczyk
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Récepteurs-Canaux, Département de Neuroscience, 25, rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France; Department of Systems Biology, Institute of Experimental Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Nathalie Servel
- INSERM, U1151, Université de Paris Cité, Institut Necker Enfants Malades (INEM), CNRS, UMR 8253, 160 rue de Vaugirard, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - J Iñaki Guijarro
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3528, Biological NMR and HDX-MS Technological Platform, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Eric Tagat
- Sanofi, R&D, Integrated Drug Discovery, In Vitro Biology, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Benoit Chevalier
- INSERM, U1151, Université de Paris Cité, Institut Necker Enfants Malades (INEM), CNRS, UMR 8253, 160 rue de Vaugirard, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Nesrine Baatallah
- INSERM, U1151, Université de Paris Cité, Institut Necker Enfants Malades (INEM), CNRS, UMR 8253, 160 rue de Vaugirard, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Pierre-Jean Corringer
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Récepteurs-Canaux, Département de Neuroscience, 25, rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Gergely L Lukács
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Aleksander Edelman
- INSERM, U1151, Université de Paris Cité, Institut Necker Enfants Malades (INEM), CNRS, UMR 8253, 160 rue de Vaugirard, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Piotr Zielenkiewicz
- Department of Systems Biology, Institute of Experimental Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jean-Marie Chambard
- Sanofi, R&D, Integrated Drug Discovery, In Vitro Biology, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Alexandre Hinzpeter
- INSERM, U1151, Université de Paris Cité, Institut Necker Enfants Malades (INEM), CNRS, UMR 8253, 160 rue de Vaugirard, F-75015 Paris, France.
| | - Grazyna Faure
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Récepteurs-Canaux, Département de Neuroscience, 25, rue du Dr. Roux, F-75015 Paris, France.
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Cappiello F, Casciaro B, Loffredo MR, Puglisi E, Lin Q, Yang D, Conte G, d’Angelo I, Ungaro F, Ferrera L, Barbieri R, Cresti L, Pini A, Di YP, Mangoni ML. Pulmonary Safety Profile of Esc Peptides and Esc-Peptide-Loaded Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) Nanoparticles: A Promising Therapeutic Approach for Local Treatment of Lung Infectious Diseases. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:2297. [PMID: 36365116 PMCID: PMC9697339 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, we have discovered Esc(1-21) and its diastereomer (Esc peptides) as valuable candidates for the treatment of Pseudomonas lung infection, especially in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Furthermore, engineered poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) were revealed to be a promising pulmonary delivery system of antimicrobial peptides. However, the "ad hoc" development of novel therapeutics requires consideration of their stability, tolerability, and safety. Hence, by means of electrophysiology experiments and preclinical studies on healthy mice, we demonstrated that neither Esc peptides or Esc-peptide-loaded PLGA NPs significantly affect the integrity of the lung epithelium, nor change the global gene expression profile of lungs of treated animals compared to those of vehicle-treated animals. Noteworthy, the Esc diastereomer endowed with the highest antimicrobial activity did not provoke any pulmonary pro-inflammatory response, even at a concentration 15-fold higher than the efficacy dosage 24 h after administration in the free or encapsulated form. The therapeutic index was ≥70, and the peptide was found to remain available in the bronchoalveolar lavage of mice, after two days of incubation. Overall, these studies should open an avenue for a new up-and-coming pharmacological approach, likely based on inhalable peptide-loaded NPs, to address CF lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floriana Cappiello
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Casciaro
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Loffredo
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Puglisi
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Qiao Lin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Dandan Yang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Gemma Conte
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Ivana d’Angelo
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Francesca Ungaro
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Loretta Ferrera
- U.O.C. Genetica Medica, IRCCS, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Raffaella Barbieri
- Biophysic Institute, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 16149 Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Cresti
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pini
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Yuanpu Peter Di
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Ripperda T, Yu Y, Verma A, Klug E, Thurman M, Reid SP, Wang G. Improved Database Filtering Technology Enables More Efficient Ab Initio Design of Potent Peptides against Ebola Viruses. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050521. [PMID: 35631348 PMCID: PMC9143221 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid mutations of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 require vaccine updates and the development of novel antiviral drugs. This article presents an improved database filtering technology for a more effective design of novel antiviral agents. Different from the previous approach, where the most probable parameters were obtained stepwise from the antimicrobial peptide database, we found it possible to accelerate the design process by deriving multiple parameters in a single step during the peptide amino acid analysis. The resulting peptide DFTavP1 displays the ability to inhibit Ebola virus. A deviation from the most probable peptide parameters reduces antiviral activity. The designed peptides appear to block viral entry. In addition, the amino acid signature provides a clue to peptide engineering to gain cell selectivity. Like human cathelicidin LL-37, our engineered peptide DDIP1 inhibits both Ebola and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. These peptides, with broad antiviral activity, may selectively disrupt viral envelopes and offer the lasting efficacy required to treat various RNA viruses, including their emerging mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - St Patrick Reid
- Correspondence: (S.P.R.); (G.W.); Tel.: +1-(402)-559-3644 (S.P.R.); +1-(402)-559-4176 (G.W.)
| | - Guangshun Wang
- Correspondence: (S.P.R.); (G.W.); Tel.: +1-(402)-559-3644 (S.P.R.); +1-(402)-559-4176 (G.W.)
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