Collagen-Boosting Peptide Repurposed as Potent Antibiotic Against Superbugs

The rise of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB), such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, represents a critical global health crisis. These pathogens are notoriously difficult to treat due to their robust resistance mechanisms and ability to form protective biofilms, leading to high mortality rates in hospital settings. There is an urgent and unmet need for novel therapeutic agents that can effectively combat these 'superbugs' and overcome existing antibiotic resistance.

The collagenesis-inducing peptide demonstrated potent antibacterial activity, with an average MIC50 of 4-8 µg/mL across the tested MDR-GNB strains, including P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and A. baumannii. Its MBC values were consistently within 2-fold of the MICs, indicating bactericidal rather than just bacteriostatic effects. The peptide also exhibited strong antibiofilm properties: Treatment with CIP-A at 10 µg/mL resulted in a >85% reduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation and a >70% disruption of established Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms after 24 hours. In vivo, mice treated with CIP-A showed a significant 2.5-log reduction in bacterial load in wound tissues compared to vehicle control (p<0.001), leading to a 60% improvement in wound healing scores by day 7.