Functions of antimicrobial peptides in host defense and immunity.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are effector molecules of the innate immune system. AMPs have a broad antimicrobial spectrum and lyse microbial cells by interaction with biomembranes. Besides their direct antimicrobial function, they have multiple roles as mediators of inflammation with impact on epithelial and inflammatory cells influencing diverse processes such as cytokine release, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, wound healing, chemotaxis, immune induction, and protease-antiprotease balance. Furthermore, AMPs qualify as prototypes of innovative drugs that may be used as antibiotics, anti-lipopolysaccharide drugs, or modifiers of inflammation. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the basic and applied biology of antimicrobial peptides and discusses features of AMPs in host defense and inflammation.
Beisswenger
Christoph
C
Hospital of the University of Marburg, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany.
Bals
Robert
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D009626:Terminology as Topic
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides