title: Antimicrobial peptides as an opportunity against bacterial diseases.
abstract: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an heterogeneous group of small amino acidic molecules produced by the innate immune system of a variety of organisms encompassing all orders of life from eukaryotes to amphibians, insects and plants. Numerous AMPs have been isolated from natural sources and many others have been de novo designed and synthetically produced. AMPs have antimicrobial activity in the micromolar range and compared with traditional antibiotics, they kill bacteria very rapidly. They act, principally, by the electrostatic attraction to negatively charged bacterial cells and consequently membrane disruption, but their antibacterial activity may also involve interference with metabolic processes or different cytoplasmic targets. AMPs are a group of unique and incredible compounds that may be directed to a therapeutic use either alone or in combination with existing antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Farmacia and DFM and Cirpeb- Universita di Napoli "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134, Naples, Italy. stefania.galdiero@unina.it.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galdiero
authors.forename: Annarita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falanga
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berisio
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grieco
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galdiero
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides