39. [Journal Cover] Star-Peptide Polymers are Multi-Drug-Resistant Gram-Positive Bacteria Killers

Abstract:

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria, especially Gram-positive bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, is gaining considerable momentum worldwide and unless checked will pose a global health crisis. With few new antibiotics coming on the market, there is a need for novel antimicrobial materials that target and kill multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Gram-positive pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In this study, using a novel mixed-bacteria antimicrobial assay, we show that the star-peptide polymers preferentially target and kill Gram-positive pathogens including MRSA. A major effect on the activity of the star-peptide polymer was structure, with an eight-armed structure inducing the greatest bactericidal activity. The different star-peptide polymer structures were found to induce different mechanisms of bacterial death both in vitro and in vivo. These results highlight the potential utility of peptide/polymers to fabricate materials for therapeutic development against MDR Gram-positive bacterial infections.

Li, W.; Hadjigol, S.; Mazo, A. R.; Holden, J.; Lenzo, J.; Shirbin, S. J.; Barlow, A.; Shabani, S.; Huang, T.; Reynolds, E. C.; Qiao, G. G.*; O’Brien-Simpson; N. M.*, (2022), Star Peptide Polymers are multi-drug resistant Gram positive bacteria killers, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 14, 22, 25025–25041, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c23734, Front Cover