Lactoferricin B Combined with Antibiotics Exhibits Leukemic Selectivity and Antimicrobial Activity

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 29; no. 3; p. 678
• Main Authors: Lica, Jan Jakub, Gucwa, Katarzyna, Heldt, Mateusz, Stupak, Anna, Maciejewska, Natalia, Ptaszyńska, Natalia, Łęgowska, Anna, Pradhan, Bhaskar, Gitlin-Domagalska, Agata, Dębowski, Dawid, Jakóbkiewicz-Banecka, Joanna, Rolka, Krzysztof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-02-2024
• Subjects: alternative leukemia treatment; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics; Antifungal agents; antileukemic agents; Antimicrobial agents; antimicrobial peptide; Bacteria; bioconjugates; Breast cancer; Cancer; Care and treatment; Cell culture; Cell growth; cell penetration peptide; Drug resistance; Drug therapy; dual-activity compounds; E coli; Exhibitions; Health aspects; Leukemia; Lung cancer; Peptides; Pharmaceutical industry; Toxicity; Poland; United States; Finland; fluconazole; bioconjugates; dual-activity compounds; levofloxacin; antileukemic agents; lactoferricin B; cell penetration peptide; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; alternative leukemia treatment; fluoroquinolones; antimicrobial peptide; ciprofloxacin
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules29030678

The fusion of penetrating peptides (PPs), e.g., cell penetration peptides (CPPs) or antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), together with antimicrobial agents is an expanding research field. Specific AMPs, such as lactoferricin B (LfcinB), have demonstrated strong antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic activity, as well as valuable anticancer activity, proving beneficial in the development of anticancer conjugates. The resulting conjugates offer potential dual functionality, acting as both an anticancer and an antimicrobial agent. This is especially necessary in cancer treatment, where microbial infections pose a critical risk. Leukemic cells frequently exhibit altered outer lipid membranes compared to healthy cells, making them more sensitive to compounds that interfere with their membrane. In this study, we revisited and reanalyzed our earlier research on LfcinB and its conjugates. Furthermore, we carried out new experiments with a specific focus on cell proliferation, changes in membrane asymmetric phosphatidylserine location, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial functions, and in vitro bacterial topoisomerase inhibition.