The World Health Organization claims that “A number of pathogens are increasingly resistant to existing antibiotics and antifungals,” and that a post-antibiotic era is coming upon us as antibiotic resistance and multidrug-resistant bacteria is becoming a growing concern. Unfortunately, “Resistant strains of bacteria/fungus/yeast are regularly being found for almost every antimicrobial used clinically,” while “…a decline in the approval of new antibiotics has further exacerbated the problem, leading to an antibiotic crisis.”
One promising approach against antibiotic resistance are Anti-Microbial Peptides (AMPs) which are also known as Host Defense Peptides (HDPs) or Cationic Host Defense Peptides CHDPs. AMPs induce little resistance. AMPs cause cell membrane disruption while controlling inflammation and other septic responses to infections. According to researchers, “…many AMPs act on the bacterial invader causing different stresses, until their combined action causes the cell death.”
There are several AMP families, one being “Defensins” in which they are the first line of defense against foreign invasion of the body. These defensins protect the host through their direct or indirect activities on microbes such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. AMPs therefore control infections by killing the foreign bacteria, virus, etc. through its microbicidal properties while also resolving inflammation.
In other words, AMPs exhibit anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-biofilm(build up of bacteria such as plaque), chemoattraction (anti-cancer), and antiviral characteristics.
AMPs can be produced in the following body sites: WBC (Defensins, Cathelicidins); kidney; small intestine; eye; skin (soap can wash AMPs off causing E. Coli to grow!); tongue; airways; colon; reproductive tract. AMPs can also be found in lymphocytes.
Research also indicates that AMPs have “…the potential to become a preventative strategy against viral infections, especially during emerging pandemics…but their application is still at the preliminary stages.”
Brilacidin is a synthetic AMP defensin-mimetic drug. Synthetic defensin-mimetic drugs like Brilacidin are less toxic and cheaper to manufacture than natural AMPs. Brilacidin is also 100 times more powerful than natural AMPs and 1000 times more selective than natural AMPs as its potent against the foreign host target while leaving host cells unaffected.
Brilacidin functions as an anti-microbial that causes rapid bacterial cell death. “This rapid killing ability makes antibiotic resistance less likely.”
Brilacidin’s defensin-based therapeutic has been through more clinical testing than any other defensin-based therapeutic drug. Through clinical testing, Brilacidin has already demonstrated broad and robust anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties in multiple FDA clinical trials (treatment of ABSSSI, IBD, OM and soon a topical agent for Atopic Dermatitis and Acne). In addition, Brilacidin does not cause systemic buildup in trials to date which means that it clears the body fast. Research also indicates that “Brilacidin has also shown that it does not interfere with other medications…does not cause any types of major side issues with patients in regards to causing pain or becoming uncomfortable.”
Immunomodulators, like Brilacidin, have “…antimicrobial peptide rhesus ?-defensin 1, which have shown to have an anti-SARS-CoV effect (The virus responsible for COVID-19).” In pre-clinical tests, Brilacidin has shown to “disrupt viral replication” while “enhancing the protective role of natural surfactants in the lung”. Currently, virologists are not only studying AMPs antiviral properties but their “…regulation of inflammation and chemo-attraction.” Defensin-based therapeutics (such as Brilacidin) have potential in treating the following cancers: esophageal cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, oral cancer, skin carcinoma, tumor-induced immune evasion, renal cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer and colorectal cancer.
Thus far, U.S. Government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of U.S.’s 12 Regional Biocontainment Labs (RBLs) and a major U.S. university with one of the world’s leading coronavirus experts are all planning to evaluate Brilacidin for viruses. Brilacidin will be researched for its anti-viral properties that could possibly control and/or treat the COVID-19 and other RNA viruses (I.e. influenza, asthma, RSV, Rhinovirus, Adenovirus, HPV-16, HSV, HIV, Vaccinia Virus, Zika Virus, Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus).
9
