title: Road to clinical efficacy: challenges and novel strategies for antimicrobial peptide development.
abstract: Since the discovery of magainins, cecropins and defensins 30 years ago, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been hailed as a potential solution to the dearth of novel antibiotic development. AMPs have shown robust activity against a wide variety of pathogens, including drug-resistant bacteria. Unlike small-molecule antibiotics, however, AMPs have failed to translate this success to the clinic. Only the polymyxins, gramicidins, nisin and daptomycin are currently approved for medical use; the latter is the only example to have been developed in the last several decades. Nonetheless, researchers continue to isolate, modify and develop novel AMPs for therapeutic applications. Efforts have focused on increasing stability, reducing cytotoxicity, improving antimicrobial activity and incorporating AMPs in novel formulations, including nanoscale particles. As peptide synthesis and recombinant production methodologies improve, and more relevant bioassays become available, it becomes increasingly likely that AMPs will break the regulatory barrier and enter the marketplace as valuable antimicrobial weapons in the next 10 years.
authors.affiliation: C3 Jian, Inc., 423 Hindry Ave, Unit D, Inglewood, CA 90301, USA. reckert@c3-jian.com
authors.forename: Randal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eckert
mesh_terms: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017277:Drug Approval; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D004355:Drug Stability; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides