The Intestinal Biofilm of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Is Inhibited by Antimicrobial Peptides HBD-2 and HBD-3

• Main Authors: Alessandra Fusco, Vittoria Savio, Debora Stelitano, Adone Baroni, Giovanna Donnarumma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: biofilm; intestinal microbiota; dysbiosis; antimicrobial peptides; <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>; <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/14/6595

Background: The intestinal microbiota is a very active microbial community interacting with the host in maintaining homeostasis; it acts in cooperation with intestinal epithelial cells, which protect the host from the external environment by producing a diverse arsenal of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including β-defensins-2 and 3 (HBD-2 and HBD-3), considered among the most studied in this category. However, there are some circumstances in which an alteration of this eubiotic state occurs, with the triggering of dysbiosis. In this condition, the microbiota loses its protective power, leading to the onset of opportunistic infections. In this scenario, the emergence of multi-drug resistant biofilms from <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> is very frequent. Methods: We created a Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cell line stably transfected with the genes, encoding HBD-2 and HBD-3, in order to evaluate their ability to inhibit the intestinal biofilm formation of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> and <i>S. aureus</i>. Results: Both HBD-2 and HBD-3 showed anti-biofilm activity against <i>P. aeruginosa</i> and <i>S. aureus</i>. Conclusions: The exploitation of endogenous antimicrobial peptides as a new anti-biofilm therapy, in isolation or in combination with conventional antibiotics, can be an interesting prospect in the treatment of chronic and multi-drug resistant infections.