Triphenyl phosphonium functionalized amphiphilic peptides as promising antibacterial and anticancer agents

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Drug-resistant microbial strains pose a significant global health threat.
• Ovarian cancer remains a challenging malignancy with limited treatment options.
• Developing novel therapeutic agents with dual antimicrobial and anticancer properties is highly desirable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize triphenyl phosphonium conjugated amphiphilic peptides.
• To investigate the self-assembly behavior of these peptides into micelles.
• To evaluate the antimicrobial and anticancer potential of the peptide-based micelles.

Main Methods:

• Peptide synthesis and conjugation with triphenyl phosphonium.
• Micelle formation and characterization using dynamic light scattering.
• Antimicrobial activity assays against drug-resistant bacterial strains.
• Ovarian cancer cell line treatment and assessment of cytotoxicity.
• Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation measurement.
• Cytocompatibility testing with non-cancerous HEK 293 cells.

Main Results:

• Triphenyl phosphonium conjugated amphiphilic peptides successfully self-assembled into stable micelles.
• The peptide micelles exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant strains.
• These micelles effectively induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells.
• Mitochondrial ROS generation was identified as the primary mechanism for cancer cell death.
• The peptide micelles demonstrated excellent cytocompatibility with normal HEK 293 cells.

Conclusions:

• Triphenyl phosphonium conjugated amphiphilic peptides form self-assembled micelles with potent dual therapeutic potential.
• These novel biomaterials offer a promising strategy for combating drug-resistant infections and treating ovarian cancer.
• The selective toxicity towards cancer cells highlights their potential as targeted therapeutic agents.