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Posts Taged fernando-albericio

Antimicrobial peptides are a promising kind of molecules to fight multi-drug resistant bacteria

The project titled “Breaking the boundaries of resistance to antimicrobials; searching for new antimicrobials against multiresistant bacteria: work on polycytonic peptides and lipid nanoparticles (BARNAPA)” in which participates Fernando Albericio, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS unit 3 Synthesis of Peptides Unit, has been selected by La Marató TV3 and finnaced with 383.276,25 €.

According to Fernando Albericio, the project arises from the need of effective and safer antibiotics to fight resistant and multi-drug resistant bacteria. In this sens, the proyect developed in collaboration with Miquel Vinyas of the UB and with the Stefania Stefani group of the Universita de Catania  looks at antimicrobial peptides as a promising kind of molecules to achieve this goal.

Fernando explains the experimental session of the project: “The synthesis of molecules in the chemical laboratory may yield new cationic peptides analogs optimizing selectivity (increasing activity, reducing toxicity) to develop them as candidates for preclinical development. Natural molecules, such as teixobactin and colistin, may serve as scaffold for unlimited new antimicrobial peptides. Mechanisms of action and spectrum of activity should be elucidated first by means of biophysical studies (electron microscopy, flow cytometry, model membranes, electrophysiology). In addition, preparation of lipid nanoparticles will be carried out to explore new pharmaceutical formulations maintaining antimicrobial activity and reducing unwanted side effects. Testing studied molecules in front of clinical multidrug resistant isolates and biofilms produced by these bacteria will be also accomplished. The eventual synergism between the peptides and conventional antimicrobials has to be explored since previous results are promising. We hopefully expect this project to yield a few candidates and propose new delivery
formulations to start exploratory in vitro and in vivo tests (which should include acute toxicity determination, pharmacokinetics, and development of a model of respiratory infection in mice) to finally transfer it to a pharmaceutical company for further clinical assay and use”.

 

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Researchers of NANBIOSIS U3 find activators of a possible therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with diabetes and insulin resistance

Researchers of  NANBIOSIS U3: Synthesis of Peptides Unit participate in the identification of activators of of the mitochondrial protein Mitofusin 2, a possible therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes in collaboration with CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) and the CIBER of Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN).

Those researchers are led by Fernando Albericio (Scientific Director of Unit 3 of NANBIOSIS) at the University of Barcelona and Antonio Zorzano en el IRB Barcelona  have identified activators of the mitochondrial protein Mitofusin 2 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This protein is expressed at abnormally low levels in the tissues of patients with diabetes. “Thanks to the studies of phenotypic screening and validation studies in human cells, it has been possible to demonstrate the role of the protein Mitofusin 2 in the development of many of the alterations associated with diabetes”, explain those responsible for the work.

These studies have been possible thanks to the work of biologists and chemists from different CIBER areas and with experience in synthetic chemistry, molecular screening and functional analysis.

Article of reference:

Identification of New Activators of Mitochondrial Fusion Reveals a Link between Mitochondrial Morphology and Pyrimidine Metabolism. Miret-Casals L, Sebastián D, Brea J, Rico-Leo EM, Palacín M, Fernández-Salguero PM, Loza MI, Albericio F, Zorzano A. Cell Chem Biol. 2017 Dec 23. pii: S2451-9456(17)30428-2. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.12.001.

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