Novel antibiotic peptide mice are infected with "super worms" with lung infections.

Novel antibiotic peptide mice are infected with "super worms" with lung infections.

Scientists have developed a new antimicrobial peptide therapy named D8 with high efficacy and low toxicity in mice which could be used to fight lung infections.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, US, report they have considerably reduced the toxicity of a potential antibiotic, named D8, that fights drug-resistant bacteria, while also improving its stability in fighting infections.

As a result, antibiotics have proven to be more effective in laboratory cell culture and anti-drug resistance in mice than traditional and conventional end resort antibiotic treatments.

"We are very surprised and happy," said Dr. Y. Peter D., an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at PET. I was 20 times less toxic than the red blood cells. We were really excited when we saw the same results in the rats. "

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The team has developed an experimental drug that contains the engineering catechin antimicrobial peptide (ECAP), a more effective version of synthetic and naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides that fight human infections. Creates the first line of defense caps work by infiltrating bacteria, thus eliminating them

The team was working with an ECAP called WLBU2, licensed by PC Pellegolox, and conducted clinical trials to prevent knee and hip replacement infections. They were investigating ways to make WLBU2 more stable so that it stays long enough to fight lingering infections in the lungs.

To defend against foreign invaders, lungs naturally secrete mucus and proteins that also recognize and degrade WLBU2. To navigate this problem, Di’s team constructed a near-mirror image of WLBU2 – which they call ‘D8’ – in hopes it would be less likely to be recognized by the lung’s defenses. It worked and at a four-fold lower concentration than WLBU2. The researchers found that D8 eliminated Pseudomonas aeruginosa from blood in the lab. 

The team next exposed human red and white blood cells to concentrations of the D8 antibiotic, at nearly 25 times the concentration that would ever be used therapeutically, It remains to be seen whether this will have a negative effect on the cells They found that D8 was considerably less toxic than regular WLBU2, destroying less than one percent of red blood cells and less than 15 percent of white.

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The researchers next tested their antibiotic in mice. While WLBU2 at higher than 35μg would kill some mice, there were no fatalities with D8 at four times that concentration. 

Its overall improvement, the robustness of the new drug, and its anti-superbug activity combined with its improved drug reduction are a great indication that it will be suitable for clinical use. treating respiratory infections,” Di said. However, he also cautioned that they do not know why the new drug is less toxic or how well it is tolerated long-term, so more experimentation is needed before it can be used to treat patients. 

The team is investigating the possible use of cystic fibrosis in patients whose life-threatening respiratory lung infections reduce the life-threatening risk. They are also considering using it for ventilator-related pneumonia, which has emerged as a serious secondary and possibly more deadly infection in patients with Covid 19.

( Hamari News )