Hanski Leena
University of Helsinki
Finland
Title: Impact of β2, 2-amino acids, a novel class of Chlamydia pneumoniae inhibitors, on bronchial epithelium VEGF production
Biography
Biography: Hanski Leena
Abstract
The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae is a ubiquitous human pathogen responsible for 5-10% of community-acquired pneumoniae cases and a variety of milder upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Owing to its propensity to persistence, C. pneumonae infections are associated with treatment failures, and the presence of the bacterium in the respiratory tract has been shown to induce the production of various proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF. The chronic inflammation induced by C. pneumoniae links the bacterium to asthma and other inflammatory diseases. We have recently described the ability of amphipathic β2, 2-amino acid derivatives, developed from cationic antimicrobial peptides, to target C. pneumoniae on both in intracellular and extracellular forms of the bacterium, indicating that the eradicative effect of these agents on C. pneumoniae is not dependent on its replication. In the current work, we report on the ability of the β2,2-amino acid derivatives to suppress VEGF production induced by C. pneumoniae in bronchial epithelial cells. According to our data, the C. pneumoniae clinical isolate K7 induced significant VEGF production in BEAS-2B cells, and both studied β2,2-amino acid derivatives A1 and A2 suppressed the VEGF production at concentrations 5 µM and below. The derivatives were more effective in this respect than azithromycin, a gold standard for treating chlamydial infections. Regarding the known role of VEGF in the pathophysiology of asthma and related diseases, these results illustrate the potential of these non-conventional antichlamydial agents in suppressing C. pneumoniae and the infection consequences in bronchial epithelium