Peptide-based treatment of sepsis

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 90; no. 3; pp. 799 - 808
• Main Authors: Brandenburg, Klaus, Andrä, Jörg, Garidel, Patrick, Gutsmann, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-05-2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Animal models; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - immunology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antimicrobial agents; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Biological activity; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Critical care; Cytokines; Endotoxins; Endotoxins - antagonists & inhibitors; Endotoxins - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gram-Negative Bacteria - immunology; Gram-Negative Bacteria - physiology; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - immunology; Humans; Infection; Infections; Infectious diseases; Inflammation; Influenza; Investigations; Life Sciences; Mammals; Medical treatment; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Mini-Review; Peptides; Peptides - immunology; Peptides - therapeutic use; Poisoning; Polypeptides; Protein binding; Proteins; Sepsis; Sepsis - drug therapy; Sepsis - immunology; Studies; Viral infections; Germany; Lipopolysaccharide; Sepsis; Defensins; Endotoxin; Antimicrobial peptides; Peptides; Antimicrobial agent; Infection; Sepsis syndrome; Toxin; Treatment; Arthropoda; Merostomata; Limulus; Invertebrata; Defensin
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-011-3185-7

Sepsis (blood poisoning) is a severe infectious disease with high mortality, and no effective therapy is actually known. In the case of Gram-negative bacteria, endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides) are known to be responsible for the strong inflammation reaction leading to the systemic infection. Peptides based on endotoxin-binding domains of human or animal proteins represent a promising approach in sepsis research. Although so far no medicament is available, the progress in recent years might lead to a breakthrough in this field. In this review, recent investigations are summarised, which may lead to an understanding of the mechanisms of action of peptides to suppress the inflammation reaction in vitro and in vivo (animal models) and thus may allow the development of effective anti-septic drugs.