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. 2025 Jun 18:e2500258.
doi: 10.1002/cbic.202500258. Online ahead of print.

Poly(ethylene Glycol)-Based Peptidomimetics (Pegtides) of Antimicrobial Peptides

Conor Shine  1 , John R F B Connolly  1 , Robert D Murphy  1 , Hazel Lafferty  1   2 , Abdalmalek Alfnikh  1   3 , Ned P Buijs  4 , Hawraa Shahrour  3 , Nathaniel I Martin  4 , Eoghan O'Neill  3 , George Amarandei  2 , Jimmy Muldoon  5 , Marc Maresca  6 , Deirdre Fitzgerald-Hughes  3 , Marc Devocelle  1
Affiliations

Poly(ethylene Glycol)-Based Peptidomimetics (Pegtides) of Antimicrobial Peptides

Conor Shine et al. Chembiochem. .

Abstract

Cationic amphipathic poly(ethylene glycol)-based polymers are generated with synthetic efficiencies allowing their evaluation as antimicrobial peptide (AMP) mimetics. Accordingly, statistical copolymers with cationic units consistently functionalized with guanyl groups, but different side-chain lengths, and hydrophobic units displaying long aliphatic, branched, and/or aromatic side chains are produced and tested for their antimicrobial and hemolytic properties. The results obtained indicate that candidates with activities and selectivity commensurate to some AMPs can be obtained and that further development of this novel type of antimicrobial peptidomimetics, pegtides, is warranted for clinical and/or biotechnological applications.

Keywords: antimicrobial peptides; cationic amphipathic copolymers; functionalized poly(ethylene glycol); pegtides; peptidomimetics.

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