Designing mesoporous silica nanoparticles for improved delivery of antimicrobial peptides in combatting bacterial lung infections

Infectious diseases constitute a leading cause of death globally with potential to provoke a collapse in social life and result in massive economic costs. Although antibiotics have been used to control these infections, there are many reports of antimicrobial resistance.

It is therefore key to minimize antimicrobial resistance, especially among pathogens which are etiologic agents of hospital-acquired infection in intensive care units.

Among hospital-acquired infections, pneumonia is prevalent and frequently caused by K. pneumonia and A. baumannii, which have been included by the WHO in its critical priority group of pathogens. A promising alternative to traditional antibiotics is provided by antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).

Here, some peptides from our previous research (Mast-MO, I5R8, BrotAMP14, KYE28 and KYE21WWW) were selected due to their potent antimicrobial activity and anti-inflammatory effects.

To improve the efficacy of these AMPs, the project aims to develop delivery systems to improve AMPs potency and reduce their side effects, employing mesoporous silica nanoparticles for protecting the AMPs against protease degradation in infected tissue, but also for reducing adverse side effects related to peptide toxicity, and to facilitate administration through the airways.

By this, we aim to lay the foundation  for improved inhalation administration of AMPs to treat bacterial lung infections.