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A study conducted by the European Network for Innovative Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Neutropenias (EuNet-INNOCHRON) and other organizations examined the impact of COVID-19 on patients with chronic neutropenia (CNP). The study collected data from 57 CNP patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and May 2022. The findings showed that CNP patients experienced similar symptoms to the general population, with fever, cough, and musculoskeletal pains being the most frequently reported. The study also found that isolated CNP did not increase the risk of severe COVID-19 infection unless other comorbidities were present. Patients on long-term granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment were more likely to develop musculoskeletal symptoms and shortness of breath, but these symptoms were not severe enough to require hospitalization. The study concluded that CNP patients should be treated according to local protocols and that initiation of G-CSF treatment is generally not necessary. Further research is needed to assess the relative susceptibility of CNP patients to SARS-CoV-2. [Extracted from the article]

Natural peptides with antimicrobial properties are deeply investigated as tools to fight bacteria resistant to common antibiotics. Small peptides, as those belonging to the temporin family, are very attractive because their activity can easily be tuned after small modification to their primary sequence. Structure-activity studies previously reported by us allowed the identification of one peptide, analogue of temporin B, TB_KKG6A, showing, unlike temporin B, antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In this paper, we investigated the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity of the peptide TB_KKG6A against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Interestingly, we found that the peptide exhibits antimicrobial activity at low concentrations, being able to downregulate the pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1 β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor- α produced downstream infected human bronchial epithelial cells. Experiments were carried out also with temporin B, which was found to show pro-inflammatory activity. Details on the interaction between TB_KKG6A and the P. aeruginosa LPS were obtained by circular dichroism and fluorescence studies. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is characterized by neutropenia, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and skeletal abnormalities. SDS bone marrow haematopoietic progenitors show increased apoptosis and impairment in granulocytic differentiation. Loss of Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome (SBDS) expression results in reduced eukaryotic 80S ribosome maturation. Biallelic mutations in the SBDS gene are found in ~90% of SDS patients, ~55% of whom carry the c.183-184TA>CT nonsense mutation. Several translational readthrough-inducing drugs aimed at suppressing nonsense mutations have been developed. One of these, ataluren, has received approval in Europe for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We previously showed that ataluren can restore full-length SBDS protein synthesis in SDS-derived bone marrow cells. Here, we extend our preclinical study to assess the functional restoration of SBDS capabilities in vitro and ex vivo. Ataluren improved 80S ribosome assembly and total protein synthesis in SDS-derived cells, restored myelopoiesis in myeloid progenitors, improved neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro and reduced neutrophil dysplastic markers ex vivo. Ataluren also restored full-length SBDS synthesis in primary osteoblasts, suggesting that its beneficial role may go beyond the myeloid compartment. Altogether, our results strengthened the rationale for a Phase I/II clinical trial of ataluren in SDS patients who harbour the nonsense mutation., (© 2023 The Authors. British Journal of Haematology published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)