Ceragenins and Ceragenin-Based Core-Shell Nanosystems as New Antibacterial Agents against Gram-Negative Rods Causing Nosocomial Infections
Maciej Karasiński,
Urszula Wnorowska,
Bonita Durnaś,
Grzegorz Król,
Tamara Daniluk,
Karol Skłodowski,
Katarzyna Głuszek,
Ewelina Piktel,
Sławomir Okła,
Robert Bucki
Affiliations
Maciej Karasiński
Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland
Urszula Wnorowska
Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland
Bonita Durnaś
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
Grzegorz Król
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
Tamara Daniluk
Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland
Karol Skłodowski
Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland
Katarzyna Głuszek
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
Ewelina Piktel
Independent Laboratory of Nanomedicine, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2B, 15-222 Białystok, Poland
Sławomir Okła
Holy Cross Oncology Center of Kielce, Artwińskiego 3, 25-734 Kielce, Poland
Robert Bucki
Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland
The growing number of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, limited treatment options, multi-species infections, high toxicity of the antibiotics used, and an increase in treatment costs are major challenges for modern medicine. To remedy this, scientists are looking for new antibiotics and treatment methods that will effectively eradicate bacteria while continually developing different resistance mechanisms. Ceragenins are a new group of antimicrobial agents synthesized based on molecular patterns that define the mechanism of antibacterial action of natural antibacterial peptides and steroid-polyamine conjugates such as squalamine. Since ceragenins have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, with little recorded ability of bacteria to develop a resistance mechanism that can bridge their mechanism of action, there are high hopes that this group of molecules can give rise to a new family of drugs effective against bacteria resistant to currently used antibiotics. Experimental data suggests that core-shell nanosystems, in which ceragenins are presented to bacterial cells on metallic nanoparticles, may increase their antimicrobial potential and reduce their toxicity. However, studies should be conducted, among others, to assess potential long-term cytotoxicity and in vivo studies to confirm their activity and stability in animal models. Here, we summarized the current knowledge on ceragenins and ceragenin-containing nanoantibiotics as potential new tools against emerging Gram-negative rods associated with nosocomial infections.