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Abstract The failure to treat everyday bacterial infections is a current threat as pathogens are finding new ways to thwart antibiotics through mechanisms of resistance and intracellular refuge, thus rendering current antibiotic strategies ineffective. Cell‐penetrating peptides (CPPs) are providing a means to improve antibiotics that are already approved for use. Through coadministration and conjugation of antibiotics with CPPs, improved accumulation and selectivity with alternative and/or additional modes of action against infections have been observed. Herein, we review the recent progress of this antibiotic–cell‐penetrating peptide strategy in combatting sensitive and drug‐resistant pathogens. We take a closer look into the specific antibiotics that have been enhanced, and in some cases repurposed as broad‐spectrum drugs. Through the addition and conjugation of cell‐penetrating peptides to antibiotics, increased permeation across mammalian and/or bacterial membranes and a broader range in bacterial selectivity have been achieved.
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Microstructured Electroceutical Fiber‐Device for Inhibition of Bacterial Proliferation in Wounds
Abstract Antibiotic‐resistant infections caused by bacterial pathogens pose a serious threat to public health, hampering wound healing and causing significant morbidities worldwide. A biomedical fiber‐device that functions as a drugless antiseptic is introduced as a solution to this problem. Through stitching, piercing, or topical application to the wound, this fiber slows down the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, thereby reducing the risks associated with inflammation and inhibiting infections. The fiber's bacterial proliferation inhibition function is based on the galvanic effect, which disturbs bacterial quorum sensing. Detailed herein are the fiber design optimization, scalable fabrication approach, electrical function characterization, and antiseptic function verification in cultures of typical wound pathogens. Such a fiber—mechanically and environmentally resilient, insensitive to harsh storage conditions with nominally infinite shelf‐life, resulting from machining rather than pharmacochemical fabrication— provides a cost‐effective and widely available alternative to current antibiotic treatments of physical injury.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2143467
- PAR ID:
- 10383976
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Materials Interfaces
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2196-7350
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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