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Antibacterial efficacy of antimicrobial peptide-functionalized hydrogel particles combined with vancomycin and

Annija Stepulane1, Anand Kumar Rajasekharan2, Martin Andersson3

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg SE-412 96, Sweden; Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.

International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|August 31, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) combined with antibiotics show synergistic effects against resistant bacteria like MRSA. AMP-functionalized hydrogel particles enhance antibiotic efficacy, offering new strategies for combating infections in medical devices.

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Antimicrobial Resistance
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), pose a significant global health threat.
  • Medical devices often serve as sites for persistent infections, necessitating advanced antimicrobial strategies.
  • Combining conventional antibiotics with novel antimicrobial agents is a promising approach to overcome resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the synergistic antibacterial effects of an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) and conventional antibiotics (vancomycin and oxacillin).
  • To evaluate the efficacy of AMP-functionalized hydrogel particles in combination with antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA.
  • To explore the potential of these materials for combating biomaterial-associated infections and reversing antimicrobial resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Checkerboard assays were employed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of AMP, vancomycin, and oxacillin, both individually and in combination.
  • Antimicrobial peptide (RRPRPRPRPWWWW-NH2) was synthesized and characterized.
  • Hydrogel particles were functionalized with the AMP via covalent immobilization.

Main Results:

  • Additive and synergistic interactions were observed between the free AMP and both vancomycin and oxacillin against Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA.
  • A significant synergistic effect was found for the AMP-oxacillin combination against MRSA, reducing oxacillin's MIC by 512-fold.
  • AMP-functionalized hydrogel particles retained synergistic potential against MRSA, reducing oxacillin's MIC by 64-fold, demonstrating retained efficacy despite immobilization.

Conclusions:

  • Antimicrobial peptide-functionalized hydrogel particles can enhance the efficacy of conventional antibiotics against resistant bacteria like MRSA.
  • These findings highlight the potential of antimicrobial biomaterials for developing next-generation medical devices to combat infections and address antimicrobial resistance.
  • The synergistic combinations offer a promising strategy for future therapeutic interventions against challenging bacterial infections.
Keywords:
Antimicrobial peptidesHydrogel particlesMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusOxacillinSynergismVancomycin

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