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- Borro, Bruno C., et al.
(author)
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Microgels and hydrogels as delivery systems for antimicrobial peptides
- 2020
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In: Colloids and Surfaces B. - : ELSEVIER. - 0927-7765 .- 1873-4367. ; 187
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to rapid development of bacterial resistance against antibiotics, an emerging health crisis is underway, where `simple' infections may no longer be treatable. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute a class of substances attracting interest in this context. So far, research on AMPs has primarily focused on the identification of potent and selective peptides, as well as on the action mode of such peptides. More recently, there has been an increasing awareness that the delivery of AMPs is challenging due to their size, net positive charge, amphiphilicity, and proteolytic susceptibility. Hence, successful development of AMP therapeutics will likely require also careful design of efficient AMP delivery systems. In the present brief review, we discuss microgels, as well as related polyelectrolyte complexes and macroscopic hydrogels, as delivery systems for AMPs. In doing so, key factors for peptide loading and release are outlined and exemplified, together with consequences of this for functional performance relating to antimicrobial effects and cell toxicity.
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2. |
- Nordström, Randi, et al.
(author)
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Membrane Interactions of Antimicrobial Peptide-Loaded Microgels
- 2020
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In: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0021-9797 .- 1095-7103. ; 562, s. 322-332
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the present study, lipid membrane interactions of anionic poly(ethyl acrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (MAA) microgels as carriers for the cationic antimicrobial peptide LL-37 (LLGDFFRKSKEKIGKEFKRIVQRIKDFLRNLVPRTES) were investigated. In doing so, neutron reflectometry (NR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR), zeta potential, ellipsometry, and circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) experiments were employed to investigate the relative importance of membrane interactions of peptide-loaded microgel particles and of released peptide. For the free peptide, NR results showed membrane binding occurring preferentially in the tail region in a concentration-dependent manner. At low peptide concentration (0.3 mu M) only peptide insertion in the outer leaflet was seen, however, pronounced membrane defects and peptide present in both leaflets was observed at higher peptide concentration (5.0 LL-37 loaded into MAA microgels qualitatively mirrored these effects regarding both peptide localization within the membrane and concentration dependent defect formation. In addition, very limited membrane binding of microgel particles was observed, in agreement with FTIR-ATR and liposome leakage results. FTIR-ATR showed LL-37 to undergo alpha-helix formation on membrane insertion, also supported by CD results, the kinetics of which was substantially reduced for microgel-loaded LL-37 due to sustained peptide release. Together, these findings demonstrate that membrane interactions for microgel-loaded LL-37 are dominated by released peptide, but also that slow release of microgel-loaded LL-37 translates into kinetic effects on peptide-membrane interactions, relating to both peptide localization within the bilayer, and to bilayer structure.
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