Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses
Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses

Antimicrobial Peptide Strategies

The strong affinity of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) to bacterial membranes is used to isolate and then to identify bacterial agents using specially modified carrier materials made up of heterogeneous mixtures. One of the complex mechanisms of action of antimicrobial peptides was also discovered in the process. We are now able to synthesize highly-specific artificial, non-toxic molecules (peptides) that are very short in comparison to naturally occurring peptides (»Synthizide«). This patented technique is opening up the possibility of replacing antibiotics in certain areas, thereby reducing the microbial load without creating additional resistances or allowing existing ones to manifest themselves. These and other (natural) AMPs can be used to create biocidal surfaces that can serve as an antibiotic replacement in certain cases to help fight increasingly prevalent antibiotic resistances and multidrug-resistant microorganisms. (Keywords: wound dressing, medical products)

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Reducing Multidrug-Resistant, Pathogenic Bacteria in Milk Production

Treatment of bacterially infected cell culture (U937 + staphylococcus) with melittin and O1 (artificial AMP)
© Fraunhofer IZI-BB
Treatment of bacterially infected cell culture (U937 + staphylococcus) with melittin and O1 (artificial AMP)
Live/dead staining of a bacterially infected cell culture (L929 - S. xylosus). A) Treatment with melittin (50 μM/100×MIC); toxic effect for pro- and eukaryotes. B) Treatment with Fraunhofer IZI-BB O1 (50 μM/100×MIC); selective destruction of membranes
© Fraunhofer IZI-BB
Live/dead staining of a bacterially infected cell culture (L929 - S. xylosus). A) Treatment with melittin (50 μM/100×MIC); toxic effect for pro- and eukaryotes. B) Treatment with Fraunhofer IZI-BB O1 (50 μM/100×MIC); selective destruction of membranes

The objective of the project is to use antimicrobial peptides to fight bacterial infectious agents in biofilms as well as to develop a rapid test for detecting pathogens. So far, nowhere in the world any functional coatings are known that use antimicrobial peptides been found that might be used to help with the decontamination of microbiological pathogens along the food supply chain, particularly in milk production. The use of AMPs in the food industry is therefore something completely new. The benefits of the developments planned in this project are the simple handling as well as immediate application of the finished product.

Project in the BMEL guideline Support for measures to minimize the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance along the food supply chain (Förderung von Maßnahmen zur Minimierung der Übertragung von antibiotikaresistenten Bakterien oder Antibiotikaresistenzeigenschaften entlang der Lebensmittelkette), project sponsor: Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE)

  • Coupling of peptides with different surfaces using affine or covalent direct immobilization or
  • Coupling via »auxiliary matrices« on difficult substrates that enable stable coupling or the slow release of the peptides (e.g. 3D polylysine matrix)

  • Bovicare GmbH
  • ILBC GmbH
  • RIPAC-Labor GmbH
  • Robert Koch Institute

Publications

  • Rapsch K, Bier FF, von Nickisch-Rosenegk M. Rational Design of Artificial Beta-Strand-Forming Antimicrobial Peptides with Biocompatible Properties. Mol Pharm. 2014 Oct 6;11(10):3492-502. doi: 10.1021/mp500271c. Epub 2014 Sep 22. PubMed PMID: 25192319.
  • Rapsch K, Bier FF, Tadros M, von Nickisch-Rosenegk M. Identification of antimicrobial peptides and immobilization strategy suitable for a covalent surface coating with biocompatible properties. Bioconjugate Chemistry 12/2013.

 

Patente

  • Rapsch, Karsten; Nickisch-Rosenegk, Markus von, Dr., Synthetische artifizielle Peptide mit biozider Wirkung »Synthizide« DE 10 2014 101 663 A1