The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
Aroylated phenylenediamines (APDs) are novel inducers of innate immunity enhancing cathelicidin gene expression in human bronchial epithelial cell lines. Here we present two newly developed APDs and aimed at defining the response and signaling pathwa…
OBJECTIVE: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NET), produced by activated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), are supposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by anti-…
Use of chlorhexidine in clinical settings has led to concerns that repeated exposure of bacteria to sub-lethal doses of chlorhexidine might result in chlorhexidine resistance and cross resistance with other cationic antimicrobials including colistin,…
Recently our groups discovered lugdunin, a new cyclic peptide antibiotic that inhibits Staphylococcus aureus epithelial colonization in humans and rodents. In this work, we analyzed its immuno-modulatory and antimicrobial potential as a single agent…
Understanding macrophage behavior is key to decipher(Mtb) pathogenesis. We studied the phenotype and ability of human monocyte-derived cells polarized with active vitamin D [1,25(OH)D] to control intracellular Mtb infection compared with polarization…
Tannerella forsythia is a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium that is associated with the development of destructive periodontal disease. T. forsythia secretes the metalloprotease-like enzyme karilysin. Using in vitro systems karilysin has been shown t…
Despite representing a very important class of virulence proteins, the role of lipoproteins in the pathogenesis ofremains elusive. In this study, we investigated the role of putative lipoprotein LprE in the subversion of host immune responses using t…
Linezolid resistance mediated by thegene in MRSA represents a global concern. We investigated relevant phenotype differences between-positive and -negative MRSA that contribute to pathogenesis, and the efficacy of linezolid-based combination therapie…
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Both chronic and aggressive periodontal disease are associated with vitamin D deficiency. The active form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)D, induces the expression of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 and innate immune mediators in cult…
OBJECTIVES: Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been evaluated for intracellular delivery of molecules and several CPPs have bactericidal activity. Our objectives were to determine the effect of a 12 amino acid CPPs on survival and on the invasive…
Over the past three decades, a considerable body of evidence has highlighted T cells as pivotal culprits in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. This includes the association of psoriasis with certain MHC (HLA) alleles, oligoclonal expansion of T cells in…
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) composed of nuclear DNA associated with histones and granule proteins are involved in the extracellular killing of pathogens. Excessive NET formation has been implicated in several noninfectious pathological cond…
Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (CP) infection in livestock has become highly difficult to control. To decrease the incidence of CP infection, the supplementation of feed with non-antibiotic antibacterial substances is a potential approach. The ai…
PURPOSE: is the most common persistent pathogen in humans, so development of new formulations to combat pathogen invasion is quite necessary. METHODS: In the current study, for the first time, the synergistic activity of recombinant lysostaphin and L…
HIV and pneumonia infections have both been shown to negatively impact lung function. However, evidence of the role of inflammation on lung dysfunction in HIV and pneumonia co-infected individuals remains limited. We aimed to systematically review th…
Bacteria have developed several evolutionary strategies to protect their cell membranes (CMs) from the attack of antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by the innate immune system, including remodeling of phospholipid content and loca…
It is common knowledge that some natural antimicrobial peptides also have a tumoricidal effect. We have shown that the peptides defensin and cathelicidin LL37 have cytostatic effects on human tumor cell lines HT29 (colorectal carcinoma) and A549 (alv…
BACKGROUND: Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are debilitating events and spur disease progression. Infectious causes are frequent; however, it is unknown to what extent exacerbations are caused by larger shifts in the air…
In cutaneous Leishmaniasis the parasitic control in human host macrophages is still poorly understood. We found an increased expression of the human cathelicidinin skin lesions of Ethiopian patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis. Vitamin D driven, Cat…