Investigating the immunomodulatory ability of peptides targeting poultry pathogens
Date
2025
Authors
Volk, Cameo
Mihalynuk, Shaeleen
Dema, Anna
Keucks-Winger, Haley
Thompson, Vanessa C.
Birol, Inanc
Helbing, Caren C.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University Of Victoria
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health crisis exacerbated by the misuse and over-prescription of traditional antibiotics. In the poultry industry, prophylactic use of antibiotics is a common practice but perpetuates the ongoing problem of drug-resistant bacteria, namely Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and Salmonella Enteritidis species. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising alternative due to their ability to modulate the host immune response alongside direct antibacterial capabilities. PeptAID is a multidisciplinary project that seeks to discover novel AMPs using deep-learning technologies and test their effectiveness against priority poultry pathogens. This study explores the potential of AMPs to dampen lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in HD11 chicken-like macrophage cells. Findings demonstrate certain AMPs such as TeRu4 can attenuate the inflammatory response following LPS treatment, whereas its counterpart, TeBi1, does not confer strong anti-inflammatory properties. Future research will elucidate the mechanism of attenuation while building on the streamlined process developed in PeptAID to build the AMP repertoire and expand it to practical and more diverse applications.
Description
Keywords
antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial peptides, immunomodulation, poultry