Chronic wound infection is a leading cause of mortality in injured patients worldwide. At present, available systemic antibiotic treatments have an insufficient tissue penetration ability and allow the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The identification of therapeutic agents with wound healing and antimicrobial functions is necessary to heal the wound and cure infections. Our report shows that the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) Epinecidin-1 (Epi-1) efficiently heals MRSA-infected heat burn injuries and provides protection from infection in mouse and pig model. Our results demonstrate that the biomaterial Epi-1 heals wounds through increasing epithelial cell proliferation, vascularization, and the formation of collagen and controls MRSA infection-mediated sepsis in pigs.

1. We have demonstrated that epinecidin-1 exerts potent antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (a MDR clinical isolate). The use of epinecidin-1 may complement the use of antibiotics. AMPs are unlikely to induce resistance.
2. Treatment with epinecidin-1 significantly reduces MRSA infection in pig model of wound infection compared to untreated controls and pig treated with conventional antibiotics. Given the prophylactic efficacy of Epi-1 and its inability to engender resistance, this AMP may be suitable for situations in which there is a high risk of infection.
3. Our model is valuable for future research on the pathophysiology of wound healing and testing new therapeutics for the treatment of bacterial infections during porcine wound healing.

Our results demonstrated that the epinecidin-1 peptide promotes epithelial wound healing under in vitro conditions and effectively heals MRSA-infected wounds in a pig model. Application of epinecidin-1 can be in the area:

1. Anti-infective, wound healing

2. Acne catheter-related infections

3. Infections of diabetic foot ulcers

4. Oral candidiasis

5. Vulvo-vaginal candidiasis

6. Infectious complications of trauma and surgery

7. Anti-endotoxin and fungal infections

8. Systemic anti- pneumococcal infections