Piling - Peptide-base lonic Luiquids towards heaLING of diabetic foot ulcer infections

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Chloroquine Analogues as Leads against Pneumocystis Lung Pathogens

Publication . Gomes, Ana; Ferraz, Ricardo; Ficker, Lauren; Collins, Margaret S.; Prudêncio, Cristina; Cushion, Melanie T.; Teixeira, Cátia; Gomes, Paula

The impact of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) on morbidity and mortality remains substantial for immunocompromised individuals, including those afflicted by HIV infection, organ transplantation, cancer, autoimmune diseases, or subject to chemotherapy or corticosteroid-based therapies. Previous work from our group has shown that repurposing antimalarial compounds for PcP holds promise for treatment of this opportunistic infection. Following our previous discovery of chloroquine analogues with dual-stage antimalarial action both in vitro and in vivo, we now report the potent action of these compounds on Pneumocystis carinii in vitro Identification of chloroquine analogues as anti-PcP leads is an unprecedented finding.

2018Journal article

Open access

Wound-Healing Peptides for Treatment of Chronic Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Other Infected Skin Injuries

Publication . Gomes, Ana; Teixeira, Cátia; Ferraz, Ricardo; Prudêncio, Cristina; Gomes, Paula

As the incidence of diabetes continues to increase in the western world, the prevalence of chronic wounds related to this condition continues to be a major focus of wound care research. Additionally, over 50% of chronic wounds exhibit signs and symptoms that are consistent with localized bacterial biofilms underlying severe infections that contribute to tissue destruction, delayed wound-healing and other serious complications. Most current biomedical approaches for advanced wound care aim at providing antimicrobial protection to the open wound together with a matrix scaffold (often collagen-based) to boost reestablishment of the skin tissue. Therefore, the present review is focused on the efforts that have been made over the past years to find peptides possessing wound-healing properties, towards the development of new and effective wound care treatments for diabetic foot ulcers and other skin and soft tissue infections.

2017Journal article

Open access