ALT33441 Endolysin Targets Cutibacterium Acnes Cell Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for acne caused by Cutibacterium acnes, such as conventional antibiotics, face challenges with resistance and inefficiency, and existing antibacterial proteins lack sufficient solubility and high purification yields.
Innovation Solution
Development of an isolated antibacterial protein, ALT33441, with specific activity against Cutibacterium acnes, demonstrating high solubility and producibility, effective at low concentrations (ng/ml) and stable for over a year at room temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional antibiotics are used to treat C. acnes infection, then antibacterial effect is achieved, but bacterial resistance develops and treatment efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the antimicrobial agent from conventional antibiotics to endolysin enzymes. These endolysins have different mechanisms of action targeting bacterial cell wall synthesis rather than protein synthesis or metabolic pathways, thereby bypassing existing antibiotic resistance mechanisms while maintaining effective antibacterial activity against C. acnes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite endolysin formulations comprising multiple endolysin proteins with different specificities. This composite approach ensures broad-spectrum activity against various C. acnes strains including resistant ones, as the different endolysins target different components of the bacterial cell wall, preventing resistance development through multiple simultaneous attack vectors
2Reliability
If existing antibacterial proteins are used against C. acnes, then some antibacterial activity is achieved, but solubility and purification yield are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes several parameters of the endolysin proteins including amino acid sequence modifications to enhance solubility, addition of solubility-enhancing tags, and optimization of expression conditions. These parameter changes maintain the core antibacterial function while dramatically improving solubility and purification yield for practical manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces molecular tags and fusion proteins as intermediaries that facilitate solubility and purification. These tags act as mediators that do not interfere with the core endolysin function but enable easy purification through affinity chromatography and enhance solubility during expression, thereby solving the manufacturing challenges
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
ALT33441 effectively prevents and inhibits Cutibacterium acnes growth with minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations as low as 0.2-8 ng/ml, offering a stable and efficient treatment option for acne and other C. acnes-related infections.
Implementation Method 1
Endolysins are hydrolytic enzymes encoded by bacteriophages and degrade the peptidoglycan (PG) layer of the host bacterial cell
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a new isolated antibacterial protein that specifically targets Cutibacterium acnes and thus is able to prevent and/or inhibit the infection by C. acnes. Advantageously, very low concentrations (in the range of ng/ml) of the newly isolated antibacterial protein are able to prevent and/or inhibit the growth of C. acnes. Accordingly, an isolated antibacterial protein is provided, as well as a composition for targeting Cutibacterium acnes comprising said antibacterial protein. The antibacterial protein or the composition comprising the isolated antibacterial protein of the present invention for use in a method of treating or preventing infection with Cutibacterium acnes are provided, as well as a method for inhibiting or preventing the growth of Cutibacterium acnes comprising the step of contacting the bacteria with the antibacterial protein of the present invention.