Synergistic effect between the RP-1 peptide isolated and conjugated with ferrocene and chlorin-e6 mediated photodynamic therapy against planktonic Cutibacterium acnes

• Grant number: 19/08668-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2019
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Carla Raquel Fontana
• Grantee: Felipe Pereira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a disease that affects most adolescents and even adults, leaving physical and psychological sequelae. Cutibacterium acnes is one of the major etiological agents of the disease, which is treated by several different therapies such as oral and topical drug administration. However, existing therapies may cause undesirable side effects, such as bacterial resistance. In order to reduce such side effects, photodynamic therapy (PDT), based on the combined action of light, oxygen and photosensitizer (PS), is an excellent alternative and its effect can be enhanced when combined with antimicrobial peptides (AMP). AMPs have bactericidal activity by themselves when creating pores in the lipid bilayer of the cell and this action may allow a greater internalization of the PS inside the bacterium, especially when they are conjugated with ferrocene, an organometallic that alters the permeability of the plasma membrane of the microorganisms. Among the PSs, chlorine-e6 (Ce6) is notable for allowing the treatment of deeper lesions due to the high red light penetration and low toxicity and greater singlet oxygen production capacity. Therefore, the objective of this study will be to evaluate the synergistic effect between RP-1 alone and ferrocene-conjugated AMP and PDT mediated by Ce6 against C. acnes in suspension, in order to develop a protocol for the use of this synergism in the treatment of acne vulgar Minimum inhibitory concentration assays for AMP over C. acnes will be performed and microbial viability after the combination therapy will be quantified by colony forming units per milliliter of sample (CFU / mL). The results obtained will be evaluated through the statistical method ANOVA and others when deemed necessary.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PEREIRA, FELIPE; DE ANNUNZIO, SARAH RAQUEL; LOPES, THAIS DE ASSIS; DE OLIVEIRA, KLEBER THIAGO; CILLI, EDUARDO MAFFUD; BARBUGLI, PAULA ABOUD; FONTANA, CARLA RAQUEL. Efficacy of the combination of P5 peptide and photodynamic therapy mediated by bixin and chlorin-e6 against Cutibacterium acnes biofilm. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, v. 40, p. 13-pg., 2022-12-01. (19/27176-8, 18/09088-1, 19/08668-7, 20/06874-6, 13/07276-1)