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Synthetic Polymers Active against <i>Clostridium difficile</i> Vegetative Cell Growth and Spore Outgrowth
Nylon-3
polymers (poly-β-peptides) have been investigated
as synthetic mimics of host-defense peptides in recent years. These
polymers are attractive because they are much easier to synthesize
than are the peptides themselves, and the polymers resist proteolysis.
Here we describe <i>in vitro</i> analysis of selected nylon-3
copolymers against <i>Clostridium difficile</i>, an important
nosocomial pathogen that causes highly infectious diarrheal disease.
The best polymers match the human host-defense peptide LL-37 in blocking
vegetative cell growth and inhibiting spore outgrowth. The polymers
and LL-37 were effective against both the epidemic 027 ribotype and
the 012 ribotype. In contrast, neither vancomycin nor nisin
inhibited outgrowth for the 012 ribotype. The best polymer was less
hemolytic than LL-37. Overall, these findings suggest that nylon-3
copolymers may be useful for combatting <i>C. difficle</i>