Cationic peptides: effectors in innate immunity and novel antimicrobials.
Cationic antimicrobial peptides are produced by all organisms, from plants and insects to human beings, as a major part of their immediately effective, non-specific defences against infections. With the increasing development of antibiotic resistance among key bacterial pathogens, there is an urgent need to discover novel classes of antibiotics. Therefore, cationic peptides are being developed through clinical trials as anti-infective agents. In addition to their ability to kill microbes, these peptides seem to have effector functions in innate immunity and can upregulate the expression of multiple genes in eukaryotic cells. One such function might involve the dampening of signalling by bacterial molecules such as lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acid.
Hancock
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Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. bob@cmdr.ubc.ca
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002412:Cations; D006096:Gramicidin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011112:Polymyxin B / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D002412:Cations; D006096:Gramicidin; D011112:Polymyxin B