title: Optimizing antimicrobial host defense peptides.
abstract: Antimicrobial host defense peptides constitute a major component of innate immune systems. Expectations are high to develop them into a novel class of anti-infective agents. In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Hilpert et al. describe new design and peptide synthesis strategies for systematically investigating such concepts.
authors.affiliation: University of Bonn, Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Unit, Meckenheimer Allee 168, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Sahl
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D015195:Drug Design; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides