Antimicrobial peptides as drugs with double response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis coinfections in lung cancer

Abstract

Tuberculosis and lung cancer are, in many cases, correlated diseases that can be confused because they have similar symptoms. Many meta-analyses have proven that there is a greater chance of developing lung cancer in patients who have active pulmonary tuberculosis. It is, therefore, important to monitor the patient for a long time after recovery and search for combined therapies that can treat both diseases, as well as face the great problem of drug resistance. Peptides are molecules derived from the breakdown of proteins, and the membranolytic class is already being studied. It has been proposed that these molecules destabilize cellular homeostasis, performing a dual antimicrobial and anticancer function and offering several possibilities of adaptation for adequate delivery and action. In this review, we focus on two important reason for the use of multifunctional peptides or peptides, namely the double activity and no harmful effects on humans. We review some of the main antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory bioactive peptides and highlight four that have anti-tuberculosis and anti-cancer activity, which may contribute to obtaining drugs with this dual functionality.

Advanced porous materials for antimicrobial treatment

“…They are biomacromolecules composed of 10-50 amino acids that are capable of combating MDR pathogens by blocking intracellular targets or provoking extracellular imbalance leading to cell lysis and death. [17,27,28] The presence of amino acids with high positive charges and the α-helix and β-sheet stable structures make AMPs potential choice for clinical antimicrobial therapy. [8,29] Despite being an alternative to the commercial antimicrobials, AMPs therapeutic are still limited due to their low metabolic stability, poor pharmacological properties besides their expensive production.…”

“…Chemical modifications and association with carriers are important approaches to overcome these problems and improve AMPs application. [17,27,28] Phages are another approach to combat MDR pathogens. They are viruses that can target bacteria and act effectively against biofilms, encoding enzymes that can infect and disrupt the cell wall.…”

Integrating immunophenotypes reveals causal relationship between tuberculosis and lung cancer: Mendelian randomization study

“…However, associations derived from observational studies may be affected by reverse causality and confounding factors. Therefore, whether TB is causally associated with LC risk remains unknown [9] . Further research is required to support the causal association between TB and LC.…”