Enhanced avidity from a multivalent fluorescent antimicrobial peptide enables pathogen detection in a human lung model.

ABSTRACT: Rapid in situ detection of pathogens coupled with high resolution imaging in the distal human lung has the potential to provide new insights and diagnostic utility in patients in whom pneumonia is suspected. We have previously described an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) Ubiquicidin (fragment UBI_29-41) labelled with an environmentally sensitive fluorophore that optically detected bacteria in vitro but not ex vivo. Here, we describe further chemical development of this compound and demonstrate that altering the secondary structure of the AMP to generate a tri-branched dendrimeric scaffold provides enhanced signal in vitro and ex vivo and consequently allows the rapid detection of pathogens in situ in an explanted human lung. This compound (NBD-UBI_dend) demonstrates bacteri

SUBMITTER: Akram AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6557859 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature