title: Antimicrobial peptides: promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics.
abstract: Antimicrobial peptides (APs) have been described as evolutionary ancient weapons. Produced by a wide variety of organisms as part of a non-specific immune response, these peptides are involved in the direct destruction of various microorganisms. Several APs have been shown to have broad activity spectra against microorganisms such as Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, enveloped viruses, fungi and parasites. Given that resistance to a number of antibiotics has developed in a wide range of microbes, the potential of APs as novel therapeutic agents is being evaluated. However, optimisation of APs designed for therapy will need to focus on such factors as their susceptibility to proteolytic degradation and reduction of toxicity to mammalian cells. Strict guidelines pertaining to their use should also be established to prevent or hinder future development of bacterial resistance to such peptides.
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, S.A., Australia.
authors: Sylvia A
authors: SA
authors: Baltzer
authors: Melissa H
authors: MH
authors: Brown
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D010455:Peptides