Breakthrough peptide research to combat bacterial biofilms
An anti-biofilm cyclic peptide targets a secreted aminopeptidase from P. aeruginosa

Date:
July 6, 2023
Source:
University of St. Andrews
Summary:
Researchers have developed peptides that can help combat
bacteria growing in biofilms, which occur in up to 80% of human
infections. The team of researchers have developed antimicrobial
peptides that can target the harmful bacteria growing in biofilms.


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FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers from the University of St Andrews have developed peptides
that can help combat bacteria growing in biofilms, which occur in up to
80% of human infections.

Treating infections becomes significantly more challenging when biofilms
are present, as they not only reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics
but also give rise to several medical complications. These complications include infections following joint replacements, prosthetic devices, as
well as contamination in catheters and other medical equipment. The lack
of specific treatments makes the management and treatment of biofilms exceptionally difficult.

Published in Nature Chemical Biology (Thursday 29th June), the team
of researchers, led by Dr Clarissa Melo Czekster and Dr Christopher
Harding from the School of Biology at St Andrews, in collaboration with researchers at University of Dundee, developed antimicrobial peptides
that can target the harmful bacteria growing in biofilms.

The team determined how a key enzyme (PaAP) in biofilms work and developed
a revolutionary new strategy to inhibit the protein. Their inhibitor is
potent and targets cells from the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa
in biofilms.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the top pathogens of concern by the
World Health Organisation, causing chronic infections in patients with
cystic fibrosis and other conditions, which means a biofilm inhibitor
is urgently needed.

Dr Czekster and the team are currently working in collaboration with
the University of St Andrews Technology Transfer Centre and industry
partner Locate Bio, a biomedicine spinout of the University of Nottingham,
to commercialise the technology. The Locate Bio team are trialling the
peptides to see how they work with the company's Programmed Drug Release technology to develop new orthobiologic solutions and products. The
Technology Transfer Centre has filed a UK priority patent application.

Dr Czekster said: "Our research reveals how designed inhibitors can
target a key enzyme in bacterial virulence, offering molecular insights applicable to aminopeptidases in diverse organisms.

"This remarkable new research presents an innovative strategy to target bacterial biofilms and pave the way for better treatment of bacterial infection."
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========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Christopher John Harding, Marcus Bischoff, Megan Bergkessel,
Clarissa
Melo Czekster. An anti-biofilm cyclic peptide targets a secreted
aminopeptidase from P. aeruginosa. Nature Chemical Biology, 2023;
DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01373-8 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230706124601.htm

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