Synergistic Microbicidal Effect of Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides and Teicoplanin against Planktonic and Biofilm-Encased Staphylococcus aureus

Antibiotic resistance development and biofilm formation are major worldwide problems. In case current clinical practice will continue unchanged, antibiotic resistance is predicted to be the major cause of death in 2050 with an expected number of 10 million deaths annually (1). Novel antimicrobial agents are actively being developed, among which are cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) (2). Natural CAMPs are a major immunological defense line in micro-organisms, plants and animals (3). Most CAMPs are amphipathic (4), and commonly interact with the negatively charged outer surface of bacteria, causing depolarization, permeabilization and disruption of the cytoplasmic membrane (5).

Source: International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents - October 10, 2018 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Bruce C. Koppen, Patrick P.G. Mulder, Leonie de Boer, Martijn Riool, Jan W. Drijfhout, Sebastian A.J. Zaat Source Type: research