Peptide polymer displaying potent activity against clinically isolated multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro and in vivo

Biomater Sci. 2020 Jan 21;8(2):739-745. doi: 10.1039/c9bm01726g.

Abstract

Multidrug resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa has caused serious nosocomial infections owing to its high intrinsic resistance and ease of acquiring resistance to common antibiotics. There is an urgent need to develop antimicrobial agents against MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here we report a 27-mer peptide polymer 90 : 10 DLL : BLG, as a synthetic mimic of a host defense peptide, that displayed potent in vitro and in vivo activities against multiple strains of clinically isolated MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa, performing even better than antibiotics within our study. This peptide polymer also showed negligible hemolysis and low cytotoxicity, as well as quick bacterial killing efficacy. The structural diversity of peptide polymers, their easy synthesis from lithium hexamethyldisilazide-initiated fast N-carboxyanhydride polymerization, and the excellent reproducibility of their chemical structure and biological profiles altogether suggested great potential for antimicrobial applications of peptide polymers as synthetic mimics of host defense peptides.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Structure
  • Peptides / chemical synthesis
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Polymers / chemical synthesis
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Polymers / pharmacology*
  • Pseudomonas Infections / drug therapy*
  • Pseudomonas Infections / microbiology
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / isolation & purification
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Peptides
  • Polymers