慢性肺部感染是囊性纤维化(CF)的标志,需要持续的抗生素治疗。在这种情况下,铜绿假单胞菌(Pa)受到特别关注,因为定殖菌株经常获得多重耐药性(MDR)。杀菌/通透性增加蛋白(BPI)是嗜中性粒细胞来源的,对革兰氏阴性细菌具有高杀菌效力的内源性蛋白。然而,大量CF(PwCF)患者会产生针对BPI(BPI-ANCA)的抗中性粒细胞胞浆抗体,从而中和其杀菌功能。根据文献,我们描述了39例PwCF中有51.0%表达BPI-ANCA。重要的是,源自蝎子Sebastesschlegerelii(scoBPI)的人BPI(huBPI)的直系同源蛋白完全逃脱了这些自身抗体的识别。此外,scoBPI对PaLPS表现出很高的抗炎效力,并且在纳摩尔浓度下对源自PwCF的MDRPa具有杀菌性。总之,我们的结果强调了huBPI高活性直系同源蛋白在治疗MDRPa感染中的潜力,特别是在BPI-ANCA存在的情况下。
囊性纤维化是一种遗传性疾病,使人们产生异常浓稠和粘稠的粘液,堵塞他们的肺和气道。这不可避免地导致反复的细菌感染,特别是由革兰氏阴性细菌铜绿假单胞菌引起的。需要抗生素来治疗这些感染。然而,随着时间的推移,大多数细菌会对这些药物产生抗药性,一旦多重耐药细菌定植于肺部,剩下的治疗选择非常有限。因此,迫切需要新的治疗方法。值得注意的是,人类本身表达一种高效的抗微生物蛋白,称为BPI(杀菌/通透性增加蛋白的缩写),可以攻击革兰氏阴性细菌,包括铜绿假单胞菌的多重耐药菌株。不幸的是,许多囊性纤维化患者还产生与BPI结合并干扰其抗微生物功能的抗体。面对这个难题,Holzingeretal.着手寻找由其他动物制造的BPI,这些BPI可能不会被人类抗体识别,并且还显示出攻击革兰氏阴性细菌的高潜力。根据具体的选择标准,Holzingeretal.把注意力集中在蝎子制造的BPI上,一种生活在珊瑚礁附近的有毒鱼类。与他们研究的其他BPI蛋白相比,由蝎子鱼产生的一种似乎最有能力通过革兰氏阴性细菌上专门发现的突出表面分子与铜绿假单胞菌结合。此外,当Holzinger等人.测试囊性纤维化患者体内存在的抗体是否可以识别蝎子BPI,他们发现BPI完全逃避了检测.蝎子BPI也能够出色地攻击铜绿假单胞菌。事实上,它甚至能够有效地杀死从囊性纤维化患者中分离出的耐药菌株。这项研究表明,蝎子BPI可以作为囊性纤维化患者的抗生素替代品,这些患者有其他无法治疗的细菌感染。导致危及生命的疾病的耐药细菌在全球范围内呈上升趋势,和蝎子BPI可能是治疗受影响患者的潜在候选者。在未来,将需要动物实验来探索高度有效的非人BPI在整个生物体中的功能。
Chronic pulmonary infection is a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF) and requires continuous antibiotic treatment. In this context, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is of special concern since colonizing strains frequently acquire multiple drug resistance (MDR). Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) is a neutrophil-derived, endogenous protein with high bactericidal potency against Gram-negative bacteria. However, a significant range of people with CF (PwCF) produce anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies against BPI (BPI-ANCA), thereby neutralizing its bactericidal function. In accordance with literature, we describe that 51.0% of a total of 39 PwCF expressed BPI-ANCA. Importantly, an orthologous protein to human BPI (huBPI) derived from the scorpionfish Sebastes schlegelii (scoBPI) completely escaped recognition by these autoantibodies. Moreover, scoBPI exhibited high anti-inflammatory potency towards Pa LPS and was bactericidal against MDR Pa derived from PwCF at nanomolar concentrations. In conclusion, our results highlight the potential of highly active orthologous proteins of huBPI in treatment of MDR Pa infections, especially in the presence of BPI-ANCA.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that makes people produce unusually thick and sticky mucus that clogs their lungs and airways. This inevitably leads to recurring bacterial infections, particularly those caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibiotics are needed to treat these infections. However, over time most bacteria build modes of resistance to these drugs and, once multiple drug-resistant bacteria colonize the lung, very limited treatment options are left. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are desperately needed. Notably, humans themselves express a highly potent antimicrobial protein called BPI (short for Bactericidal/permeability‐increasing protein) that attacks Gram-negative bacteria, including multiple drug-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa. Unfortunately, many people with cystic fibrosis also generate antibodies that bind to BPI and interfere with its antimicrobial function. Faced with this conundrum, Holzinger et al. set out to find BPIs made by other animals which might not be recognized by human antibodies and also display a high potential to attack Gram-negative bacteria. Based on specific selection criteria, Holzinger et al. focused their attention on BPI made by scorpionfish, a type of venomous fish that live near coral reefs. Compared to other BPI proteins they investigated, the one produced by scorpionfish appeared to be the most capable of binding to P. aeruginosa via a prominent surface molecule exclusively found on Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, when Holzinger et al. tested whether the antibodies present in people with cystic fibrosis could recognize scorpionfish BPI, they found that the BPI completely evaded detection. The scorpionfish BPI was also able to pre-eminently attack P. aeruginosa. In fact, it was even able to potently kill drug-resistant strains of the bacteria that had been isolated from people with cystic fibrosis. This study suggests that scorpionfish BPI could serve as an alternative to antibiotics in people with cystic fibrosis that have otherwise untreatable bacterial infections. Drug-resistant bacteria which cause life threatening conditions are on the rise across the globe, and scorpionfish BPI could be a potential candidate to treat affected patients. In the future, animal experiments will be needed to explore how highly potent non-human BPIs function in whole living organisms.