{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,22]],"date-time":"2026-05-22T05:06:09Z","timestamp":1779426369360,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779062400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The emerging threat of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and the limitations that conventional cancer chemotherapies display have created an urgent need for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. Combining the pleiotropic biological roles of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and nanomaterials through their conjugation presents a promising possibility of targeting both microbial membranes and malignant cells. In the present study, we engineered a novel bioactive material by immobilizing the insect-derived AMP Papiliocin onto multi-walled\u2014decorated with polyethylene\u2013glycol\u2014carbon nanotubes (PEG-MWCNTs) to prevent proteolytic degradation of the peptide and enhance its cellular delivery. Recombinant Papiliocin was cloned, heterologously expressed, purified and conjugated onto the PEG-MWCNT carrier. Successful expression and conjugation were validated via immunoblotting and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, respectively. Further physicochemical characterization of the bionanocomposites was conducted using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Zeta potential measurements. Biologically, the biofunctionalized material exhibited potent, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity both on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, inhibiting almost 90% of the latter\u2019s growth, highlighting the bioconjugate\u2019s specific interactions with the Gram-negative pathogens\u2019 membranes. Furthermore, it significantly reduced biofilm formation in Candida albicans, as indicated by the TCP assay. In parallel with its antimicrobial effects, CNTs-PEG\u2013Papiliocin significantly reduced cancer cell viability and induced apoptosis via the extrinsic apoptosis pathway in HeLa cells, a response assisted by efficient intracellular delivery. Notably, cytotoxicity assays demonstrated lesser cytotoxic effect against non-tumorigenic HaCaT cells relative to the cancerous cell line. Collectively, these findings indicate the Papiliocin\u2013biofunctionalized CNTs as a versatile, dual-action therapeutic agent with potential for antimicrobial activity and anticancer mode of action.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules31101715","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T14:40:31Z","timestamp":1779115231000},"page":"1715","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Antimicrobial Peptide Papiliocin\u2013Carbon Nanotube Hybrids: Potential Dual-Action Agents for Antimicrobial Activity and Apoptotic Cancer Cell Death"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-4248-0665","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Konstantinos","family":"Zacheilas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Myrto","family":"Margariti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5354-5085","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Apostolia","family":"Pissia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3183-4724","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rigini M.","family":"Papi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100249","DOI":"10.1016\/j.modpat.2023.100249","article-title":"Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance","volume":"36","author":"Flynn","year":"2023","journal-title":"Mod. 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