ESS - CQB - Posters apresentados em eventos científicos
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing ESS - CQB - Posters apresentados em eventos científicos by Author "Aguiar, Luísa"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Peptide-ionic liquid conjugates towards the treatment of skin infectionsPublication . Gomes, Ana; Bessa, Lucinda; Fernandes, Iva; Teixeira, Cátia; Aguiar, Luísa; Ferraz, Ricardo; Monteiro, Cláudia; Martins, Cristina; Mateus, Nuno; Gameiro, Paula; Gomes, PaulaThe treatment of complicated skin infections, like diabetic foot ulcers and other chronic wounds, are often associated with persistent polymicrobial biofilms that delay and difficult the healing process. The most severe cases culminate in inpatient hospital admission, where infections can be exacerbated by hospital-acquired pathogens, in particular, if caused by the so-called ESKAPE pathogens, for which few efficient antibiotics are available. The current biomedical approaches to chronic wounds aim at providing both protection against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria and a matrix scaffold, often collagen-based, to boost the reestablishment of healthy skin. Therefore, new options and new antibiotics are urgently needed and having that in mind our strategy is to use: i) antimicrobial peptides (AMP) to prevent or treat infection in the open wound; ii) collagen-inducing peptides (CBP) to induce fast healing; iii) and ionic liquids (IL) with intrinsic antimicrobial chemical permeation enhancement properties for an improved skin permeation. Through different combinations of these three types of building blocks, we aim to find a new class of active pharmaceutical ingredients suitable for topical application in the treatment of complicated skin infections. All the different conjugates designed and tested in vitro thus far will be presented. The most promising ones result from conjugation of CBP with IL, delivering a new type of conjugate with potent antibacterial, antifungal, and collagen-inducing effects on human dermal fibroblasts. Hence, these peptide-ionic liquid conjugates are promising leads towards the development of a topical formulation for the treatment of complicated skin infections.
- Repurposing conventional antimycobacterial drugs using ionic liquidsPublication . Bento, Clara M.; Silva, Tânia; Aguiar, Luísa; Teixeira, Cátia; Gomes, Paula; Ferraz, Ricardo; Gomes, Maria SaloméNontuberculous mycobacteria, namely the species belonging to the Mycobacterium avium complex, are highly infectious opportunistic pathogens, which incidence is increasing worldwide. Treating these infections is challenging, due to long duration, high toxicity, and low effectiveness of available drugs. It is therefore urgent to find new therapeutic strategies, including the repurposing of old drugs. Ionic liquids (ILs) are organic salts made by the combination of two molecules with opposite polarities, which are gaining attention in drug development. Combining the right ions, it is possible to create ILs that could avoid polymorphism and solubility issues presented by solid conventional drugs, improving their absorption and desired dissolution rate. Besides increasing the bioavailability, the main goals when formulating a new IL is keeping or improving the bioactivity and cytotoxicity properties of the parental drug(s). The aim of our work is to evaluate the ability of ILs based on conventional antimycobacterial drugs, like clofazimine, aminosalicylic acid, and fluoroquinolones, to inhibit the viability and growth of M. avium in axenic culture and inside macrophages.