Targeting Multidrug Resistance With Antimicrobial Peptide-Decorated Nanoparticles and Polymers

Abstract

As a category of small peptides frequently found in nature, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute a major part of the innate immune system of various organisms. Antimicrobial peptides feature various inhibitory effects against fungi, bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Due to the increasing concerns of antibiotic resistance among microorganisms, development of antimicrobial peptides is an emerging tool as a favorable applicability prospect in food, medicine, aquaculture, animal husbandry, and agriculture. This review presents the latest research progress made in the field of antimicrobial peptides, such as their mechanism of action, classification, application status, design techniques, and a review on decoration of nanoparticles and polymers with AMPs that are used in treating multidrug resistance. Lastly, we will highlight recent progress in antiviral peptides to treat emerging viral diseases (e.g., anti-coronavirus peptides) and discuss the outlook of AMP applications.

Inhalable GSH-Triggered Nanoparticles to Treat Commensal Bacterial Infection in In Situ Lung Tumors

“…Compared to the Blank B group without bacteria, the size of the tumors in the Blank C group with bacteria increased by 57.3%, and a large number of live St. pneumoniae were detected (Figure C–E). These results demonstrated the successful building of the model and suggested that St. pneumoniae promoted the proliferation of tumor cells and produced oncogenes, as reported previously. − ,, Additionally, MSNs showed negligible effects on the tumor and bacteria. Compared to Blank C, both free DOX and MSN@DOX inhibited tumor proliferation and tumor sizes decreased by 45.4% and 68.4% (Figure C,D), respectively.…”

“…These results demonstrated the successful building of the model and suggested that St. pneumoniae promoted the proliferation of tumor cells and produced oncogenes, as reported previously. [22][23][24]50,51 Additionally, MSNs showed negligible effects on the tumor and bacteria. Compared to Blank C, both free DOX and MSN@DOX inhibited tumor proliferation and tumor sizes decreased by 45.4% and 68.4% (Figure 5C,D), respectively.…”

“…22,23 AMPs loaded within appropriate carriers can target the infection site and kill these tricky intracellular bacteria. 24,25 Therefore, it is an urgent clinical demand to develop delivery systems carrying a combination of anticancer drugs and AMPs to simultaneously kill commensal bacteria and lung cancer cells. Unfortunately, although certain anticancer drug and AMP delivery systems have been developed, 26−28 such as vesicles, 26 none have been applied for treating the commensal bacterial infection in lung cancer due to their poor stability.…”

“…Considering the severe consequences of bacterial infection on lung cancer patients as well as the commensal relationship between bacteria and tumor cells, it is expected that the effect of chemotherapy on tumor cells can be strengthened by killing commensal bacteria simultaneously. , Although there have been many strategies to inhibit bacterial infection with antimicrobial agents, most lung cancer therapies are still restricted to killing cancer cells alone, since the simple administration of common antimicrobial agents, such as antibiotics, in clinical practice not only leads to severe drug resistance but also faces the difficulty of inhibiting intracellular bacteria in tumor cells because of the hydrophilicity of the antibiotics. − Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), especially the short AMPs of HHC36 (seq: Lys-Arg-Trp-Trp-Lys-Trp-Trp-Arg-Arg), have shown strong broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against various clinical bacteria. − AMPs can act on the bacterial membrane to cause lysis via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, resulting in reduced drug resistance compared with antibiotics. , AMPs loaded within appropriate carriers can target the infection site and kill these tricky intracellular bacteria. , Therefore, it is an urgent clinical demand to develop delivery systems carrying a combination of anticancer drugs and AMPs to simultaneously kill commensal bacteria and lung cancer cells. Unfortunately, although certain anticancer drug and AMP delivery systems have been developed, − such as vesicles, none have been applied for treating the commensal bacterial infection in lung cancer due to their poor stability.…”

Advances in Transdermal Delivery of Antimicrobial Peptides for Wound Management: Biomaterial-Based Approaches and Future Perspectives

“…The release rate of polymeric nanoparticles is dependent on polymer characteristics, process conditions, and peptide properties and is produced by using various techniques. AMPs can be converted into prodrugs by covalently bonding them to synthetic polymers via labile bonds . Microneedles made from polymers embedded with AMPs can be used to deliver AMPs to the wound site.…”