Methods and compositions comprising a c-terminal bax peptide

Abstract

In an aspect, the invention relates to compositions and methods for permeabilizing membranes of cells. In an aspect, the invention relates to compositions and methods for killing cells. In an aspect, the invention relates to compositions and methods of permeabilizing the membranes of cancer cells or microbial cells.

1 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method for treating a microbial infection in a subject, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a composition comprising a C-terminal B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein (Bax) peptide (CT20p peptide), wherein the CT20p peptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, or 4. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the CT20p peptide is encapsulated in a nanoparticle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the nanoparticle is aminated. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the nanoparticle is carboxylated. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the nanoparticle is a polymeric nanoparticle. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the polymeric nanoparticle is a hyperbranched polymeric (HBPE) nanoparticle. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising administering to the subject one or more antimicrobial therapies. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the microbial infection is caused by a drug resistant microbial cell. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the composition further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the microbial infection is a bacterial infection, a fungal infection, or a protozoan infection. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the bacterial infection is an infection of the bacteria selected from the group consisting of  Acetobacter aurantius, Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Campylobacter, Actinomyces israelii, Campylobacter coli, Agrobacterium radiobacter, Campylobacter fetus, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Campylobacter jejuni, Azorhizobium caulinodans, Campylobacter pylori, Azotobacter vinelandii, Chlamydia, Anaplasma, Chlamydia trachomatis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Chlamydophila, Acetobacter aurantius, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Bacillus, Chlamydophila psittaci, Bacillus anthracis, Clostridium, Bacillus brevis, Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium difficile, Bacillus msiformis, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus liclieniformis, Clostridium tetani, Bacillus megaterium, Corynebacterium, Bacillus mycoides, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Corynebacterium fusiforme, Bacillus subtilis, Coxiella burnetii, Bacteroides, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Bacteroides fragilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Bacteroides gingivalis, Enterococcus, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Enterococcus avium, Bartonella, Enterococcus durans, Bartonella henselae, Enterococcus faecalis, Bartonella quintana, Enterococcus faecium, Bordetella, Enterococcus galllinarum, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Enterococcus maloratus, Bordetella pertussis, Escherichia coli, Borrelia burgdorferi, Francisella tularensis, Brucella, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Brucella abortus, Haemophilus, Brucella melitensis, Haemophilus ducreyi, Gardnerella vaginalis, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Lactobacillus, Haemophilus pertussis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Haemophilus vaginalis, Lactobacillus casei, Helicobacter pylori, Lactococcus lactis, Neisseria, Legionella pneumophila, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Listeria monocytogenes, Neisseria meningitidis, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Rhizobium radiobacter, Mycoplasma, Rickettsia, Mycoplasma fermentans, Rickettsia prowazekii, Mycoplasma genitalium, Rickettsia psittaci, Mycoplasma hominis, Rickettsia quintana, Mycoplasma penetrans, Rickettsia rickettsii, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Rickettsia trachomae, Metlianobacterium extroquens, Rochalimaea, Microbacterium multiforme, Rochalimaea henselae, Micrococcus luteus, Rochalimaea quintana, Moraxella catarrhalis, Rothia dentocariosa, Mycobacterium, Rhizobium radiobacter, Mycobacterium avium, Salmonella, Mycobacterium bovis, Salmonella enteritidis, Mycobacterium diphtheriae, Salmonella typhi, Mycobacterium intracellulare, Salmonella typhimurium, Mycobacterium leprae, Serratia marcescens, Mycobacterium lepraemurium, Shigella dysenteriae, Mycobacterium phlei, Staphylococcus, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pasteurella, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pasteurella multocida, Streptococcus, Pasteurella tularensis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Peptostreptococcus, Streptococcus avium, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus bovis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus cricetus, Streptococcus mitior, Streptococcus faceium, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus ferus, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus gallinarum, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus rattus, Streptococcus sobrinus, Streptococcus salivarius, Wolbachia, Treponema, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Treponema pallidum, Vibrio vulnificus, Treponema denticola, Yersinia, Vibrio, Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio cholerae, Yersinia pestis, Vibrio comma , and  Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the bacterial infection is an infection of gram-negative bacteria. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the gram-negative bacteria comprise  Escherichia coli.