HELIX BIOMEDIX PUBLISHES DATA ON ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES

Helix BioMedix, a developer of synthetic bioactive peptides, announced that research published in the July 2005 issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy shows that small bioactive peptides have the potential to attack two of the components -- infection and inflammation -- responsible for the progression of lung damage in cystic fibrosis (CF) disease.

The research was conducted by Lijuan Zhang, Jody Parente and Scott Harris of Helix BioMedix, in conjunction with Professor Donald Woods of the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary Health Sciences Centre, Professor Robert Hancock of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia and Timothy Falla of Helix BioMedix.

In the study, 150 peptides were screened for activity against CF pathogens such as P. aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of factors that mimic the physiological environment of the CF lung. The data suggests that the lead peptides -- HBCM2, HBCM3, HBCPa-2 and HB71 -- significantly reduced the numbers of viable bacteria in the infected lungs of rats as well as demonstrating good anti-inflammatory activity in mice. The in vitro antimicrobial coverage of most peptides was superior to most conventional antibiotics. In addition to bactericidal activity towards multiple microorganisms, some peptides also possessed potent anti-gram-positive and anti-Candida activity, an advantage, since those pathogens can be present in the CF lung, and other antibiotics used in CF therapy, such as tobramycin, often lack useful gram-positive and fungal coverage.