Insights into antimicrobial peptides in fighting anthrax: A review

Abstract

Anthrax is an infectious disease occurring worldwide and is a threat to global society due to its possible misuse as a biological weapon. Bacillus anthracis is the etiologic agent of this disease which can be transmitted via inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. Globally, it is estimated around 2000 anthrax cases occur per year. Upon infection, the organism can cause cytolysis of macrophage and produce exotoxin capable of inducing edema and lymphatic blockage. Another challenge posed by the organism is the ability to form spores in harsh conditions. Various antibiotics have been used to fight the disease. However, like many other microbes, B. anthracis may develop resistance, thus the discovery of new therapeutics is urgently required. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been discovered since 1980s and attracted researchers in the antimicrobial field. In this review, the work and studies on the attempts to discover potent AMPs to treat anthrax together with the brief overview of the synthesis and modification pathways of several AMPs have been presented.

Lysins as a powerful alternative to combat Bacillus anthracis

“…Current approaches to anthrax treatment rely on the administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, penicillin, and doxycycline) alongside antitoxin therapy. However, there are some concerns about the use of antibiotics in this case, such as the time-consuming determination of bacterial susceptibility, as observed with penicillin (Brook 2002 ), poor penetration of β-lactam antibiotics (penicillin) into macrophages where the spores germinate (Bell et al 2002 ), production of penicillinase and cephalosporinase (β-lactamase) (Leonard et al 2021 ), and the potential susceptibility to engineered resistance (Klimko et al 2022 ). An antibiotic that turned out to be highly effective against B. anthracis is also novobiocin, an underused, early generation aminocoumarin produced by Streptomyces niveus .…”

Early Hormone Administration and Antibiotic Treatment is Key to Managing Cutaneous Anthrax

“…Globally, around 2,000 cases of anthrax are reported annually, with sporadic cases occurring in Europe, North America, and Australia. However, most cases in the last few years have been reported in Asia, including eastern India, South Korea, the Philippines, Mongolia, and the mountainous areas of western China [1,2,3]. In China, anthrax mainly occurs in the western and northern regions; Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia were found to have the highest incidence rates in recent years [4].…”

Organic and Inorganic Biocidal Energetic Materials for Agent Defeat Weapons: An Overview and Research Perspectives

“…For these reasons, several investigations have been carried out about microorganisms of different species as possible candidates for BWs [24][25][26][27][28], with a particular attention focused on Bacillus anthracis, as it proved to be particularly suitable for real application, even as a foodborne bioterroristic agent, owing to its ease of production, lethality and the stability of spores before and after dispersion [29]. Another serious concern related to this etiologic agent stems from its capability of developing resistance towards antibiotics [30,31].…”