title: Potential novel therapeutic strategies in cystic fibrosis: antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of natural and designed α-helical peptides against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment of cystic fibrosis-associated lung infections is hampered by the presence of multi-drug resistant pathogens, many of which are also strong biofilm producers. Antimicrobial peptides, essential components of innate immunity in humans and animals, exhibit relevant in vitro antimicrobial activity although they tend not to select for resistant strains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three α-helical antimicrobial peptides, BMAP-27 and BMAP-28 of bovine origin, and the artificial P19(9/B) peptide were tested, comparatively to Tobramycin, for their in vitro antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity against 15 Staphylococcus aureus, 25 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 27 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains from cystic fibrosis patients. All assays were carried out in physical-chemical experimental conditions simulating a cystic fibrosis lung. All peptides showed a potent and rapid bactericidal activity against most P. aeruginosa, S. maltophilia and S. aureus strains tested, at levels generally higher than those exhibited by Tobramycin and significantly reduced biofilm formation of all the bacterial species tested, although less effectively than Tobramycin did. On the contrary, the viability-reducing activity of antimicrobial peptides against preformed P. aeruginosa biofilms was comparable to and, in some cases, higher than that showed by Tobramycin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The activity shown by α-helical peptides against planktonic and biofilm cells makes them promising "lead compounds" for future development of novel drugs for therapeutic treatment of cystic fibrosis lung disease.
authors: Department of Biomedical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti, Via Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
authors: Arianna
authors: A
authors: Pompilio
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Crocetta
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Scocchi
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Pomponio
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Di Vincenzo
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Mardirossian
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Gherardi
authors: Ersilia
authors: E
authors: Fiscarelli
authors: Giordano
authors: G
authors: Dicuonzo
authors: Renato
authors: R
authors: Gennaro
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Di Bonaventura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D002417:Cattle; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D020615:Stenotrophomonas maltophilia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides