10779/rcsi.10768169.v1 Marta Zapotoczna Marta Zapotoczna Éanna Forde Éanna Forde Siobhan Hogan Siobhan Hogan Hilary Humphreys Hilary Humphreys James P O'Gara James P O'Gara Deirdre Fitzgerald-Hughes Deirdre Fitzgerald-Hughes Marc Devocelle Marc Devocelle Eoghan O'Neill Eoghan O'Neill Eradication of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Infections Using Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptides. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland 2019 Animals Anti-Bacterial Agents Biofilms Catheter-Related Infections Cytokines Disease Models Animal Humans Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Microbial Sensitivity Tests Peptides Cyclic Rats Sprague-Dawley Staphylococcal Infections Vancomycin Clinical Microbiology 2019-11-22 15:19:18 Journal contribution https://repository.rcsi.com/articles/journal_contribution/Eradication_of_Staphylococcus_aureus_Biofilm_Infections_Using_Synthetic_Antimicrobial_Peptides_/10768169 <p>Here, we demonstrate that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an effective antibiofilm treatment when applied as catheter lock solutions (CLSs) against S. aureus biofilm infections. The activity of synthetic AMPs (Bac8c, HB43, P18, Omiganan, WMR, Ranalexin, and Polyphemusin) was measured against early and mature biofilms produced by methicillin-resistant S. aureus and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus isolates from patients with device-related infections grown under in vivo-relevant biofilm conditions. The cytotoxic and hemolytic activities of the AMPs against human cells and their immunomodulatory potential in human blood were also characterized. The D-Bac8c2,5Leu variant emerged as the most effective AMP during in vitro studies and was also highly effective in eradicating S. aureus biofilm infection when used in a CLS rat central venous catheter infection model. These data support the potential use of D-Bac8c2,5Leu, alone or in combination with other AMPs, in the treatment of S. aureus intravenous catheter infections.</p>