Researchers at The Ohio State University will investigate whether naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) could work as a novel therapeutic against avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) in chickens.
“We are evaluating the peptides that we identified in field-simulated conditions and doing their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies to assess the safety in the edible tissues of chicken,” said Gireesh Rajashekara, DVM, PhD, professor and program head of the Center for Food Animal Health at The Ohio State University.
“The second aim is to understand the mechanisms of how these peptides work against the bacteria.”
The project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
Why it is so difficult to treat and prevent APEC
E. coli is found in the intestines of most animals, including poultry and humans. The bacteria is harmless in the gut, but it can result in a deadly infection if it crosses the bloodstream.
The avian specific form of E. coli, APEC, can lead to an infection called colibacillosis that can cause septicemia, organ failure and death. The disease costs the U.S. poultry industry millions of dollars each year in losses.
“This bacterium is considered as an opportunistic pathogen, even though in some cases, it can cause disease as a primary pathogen,” Rajashekara added. “APEC is managed currently by antibiotic use and vaccination.”
Antibiotic use has largely fallen out of favor in the poultry industry due to the high number of pathogens that have become antibiotic-resistant. Vaccination can be effective against APEC; however, they typically only provide protection against one specific serotype.
Could AMPs replace antibiotics?
“We need something that can actually work against multiple serotypes and also does not have a problem with the antibiotic resistance issue. So that’s why we are targeting something that affects the membrane because bacteria don’t develop resistance quickly for drugs that work on membranes.”
Antimicrobial peptides, found naturally in all living organisms, could kill many kinds of bacteria.
“The main thing is that they are natural products. They are derived from bacteria. They’re not synthetic, unlike antibiotics,” explained Rajashekara. “We anticipate that the bacteria don’t develop resistance to AMPs so we don’t have the issues that the current approach of using antibiotics has.”
