ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Translational Pharmacology
Peptide-based antimicrobial effect against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: preclinical drug assessment and translational potential
Provisionally accepted
Hak Jun Lee1Seung Jun Lee2Yoon Hyun Sung1Seung Min Park1Seung Pyo Choi2
Yang Mee Kim3
Young Kyung Yoon1*- 1College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 2HLB Science, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 3Konkuk University, Gwangjin-gu, Republic of Korea
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Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has become a major global public health threat, with limited treatment options and poor clinical outcomes. In this study, we evaluated the potential of antimicrobial peptides as adjuvants in the treatment of CRAB. Methods: In vitro synergistic and bactericidal effects of DD-S052P in combination with US Food and Drug Administration‒approved antibiotics against CRAB were assessed using the checkerboard method and time-kill assay. Mice infected with CRAB were used to evaluate the survival-enhancing effects of DD-S052P-based combination therapy. CRAB isolates were obtained from blood samples of patients with bacteremia. Results: In both the checkerboard method and time-kill assay, DD-S052P demonstrated in vitro synergistic activity against CRAB isolates when combined with ampicillin/sulbactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam, and colistin. Notably, all combinations exhibited bactericidal effects against CRAB isolates in the time-kill assay. Combination therapy with DD-S052P plus colistin yielded a 100% survival rate in the mouse infection models. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that DD-S052P in combination with colistin may represent a promising therapeutic option for CRAB infections. Further research is required to elucidate the mechanisms by which DD-S052P overcomes existing carbapenem resistance and to validate its clinical applicability.
Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii, animal model, antimicrobial peptides, Carbapenem-resistant, combination therapy
Received: 26 Oct 2025; Accepted: 19 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Lee, Lee, Sung, Park, Choi, Kim and Yoon. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Young Kyung Yoon
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