[Cationic anti-microbial peptides: from innate immunity study to drug development].
OBJECTIVE
Host defense, cationic anti-microbial peptides are recognized as an important component of innate immune response in most multicellular organisms.
They are cationic amphipathic peptides, comprising 20-50 amino acids. Several hundreds of peptides have been characterized. They have broad spectrum of activity against bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens. The mode of action is best known for cecropins and magainins, which act upon the cytoplasmic membrane of microorganisms, causing its disruption by a detergent like activity and pore formation. Several of these peptides or analogs (from magainin, protegrin, indolicidin and histatin) are in advanced clinical development, especially for localized infections.
Several other molecules (rBPI, heliomicin and thanatine) are currently under development for various systemic infections. They may represent important drugs of the further anti-infectious therapeutic arsenal.
Andrès
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E
UPR 9022 du CNRS, institut de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire, 15, rue René-Descartes, 67000 Strasbourg, France. emmanuel.andres@chru-strasbourg.fr <emmanuel.andres@chru-strasbourg.fr>
Dimarcq
J-L
JL
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007239:Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D054806:Magainins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D029867:Xenopus Proteins
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D054806:Magainins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C098076:thanatin; C073143:indolicidin; C053301:magainin 2 peptide, Xenopus; C053300:magainin 1 peptide, Xenopus