Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41540150›Full record

ArticleCellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS2026

Cathelicidin-Ka, the first frog-derived TLR2 and TLR4 agonist, induces macrophage activation and promotes inflammation.

Jinwei Chai, Jiena Wu, Shuiying Zhang, Wenjun Zhang, Weichen Xiong, Jinqiao Li, Tienthanh Nguyen, Lixia Shu, Michail Kotsyfakis, Xin Chen and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jinwei ChaiDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, China.
Jiena WuNMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Shuiying ZhangDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, China.
Wenjun ZhangThe Second Clinical College of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Weichen XiongNMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Jinqiao LiNMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Tienthanh NguyenNMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Lixia ShuNMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Michail KotsyfakisInstitute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Crete, Greece.
Xin ChenDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, China. chen_xin1020@163.com.
Xueqing XuNMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China. xu2003@smu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4525-5803

Funding

Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province 2023A1515010914Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province 2024A1515011603'Belt and Road' Innovative Talent Exchange Foreign Expert Program DL2023030011LChina Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2024M751307Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province 2023B1111050008Key Research and Development Program of Guangzhou Science and Technology Plan Project 2024B03J0011National Natural Science Foundation of China 32570586National Natural Science Foundation of China 82504889
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

TLR-targeted immunotherapy represents a promising strategy for combating infectious diseases by initiating or enhancing protective antimicrobial immunity. Here, we identified the first frog-derived TLR2 and TLR4 agonist, Cathelicidin-Ka (Cath-Ka), from the skin of Kaloula pulchra. The presence of Cath-Ka significantly enhanced proliferation, cytokine production, polarization, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and intracellular bacterial killing of macrophages and peritoneal cells by targeting TLR2 and TLR4, rather than other pattern recognition receptors, and subsequently activated the downstream MyD88-MAPKs pathway. Cath-Ka also promoted macrophage polarization towards the M1 rather than M2 phenotype, and its intraperitoneal injection significantly promoted the chemotaxis of pro-inflammatory monocytes/macrophages into the peritoneal cavity. Finally, the mutant of Cath-Ka with amination at C-terminus had stronger effects on macrophage function modulation than the original peptide. These findings suggest that Cath-Ka and its amidated mutant are promising candidates for the treatment of TLR2 and TLR4-related diseases, including infections.

Indexed as

Antimicrobial Cationic PeptidesInflammationMacrophage ActivationToll-Like Receptor 2Toll-Like Receptor 4AnimalsCathelicidinsCytokinesInnate Immunity RecognitionMacrophagesMicePhagocytosisToll-Like Receptor AgonistsAntimicrobial Cationic PeptidesCathelicidinsCytokinesToll-Like Receptor 2Toll-Like Receptor 4Toll-Like Receptor AgonistsHost defense peptidesImmunostimulationKaloula pulchraMacrophagesTLR2 and TLR4

Identifiers

PMID41540150
PMCPMC12858695

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.