title: Antimicrobial Peptides: An Emerging Category of Therapeutic Agents.
abstract: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also known as host defense peptides, are short and generally positively charged peptides found in a wide variety of life forms from microorganisms to humans. Most AMPs have the ability to kill microbial pathogens directly, whereas others act indirectly by modulating the host defense systems. Against a background of rapidly increasing resistance development to conventional antibiotics all over the world, efforts to bring AMPs into clinical use are accelerating. Several AMPs are currently being evaluated in clinical trials as novel anti-infectives, but also as new pharmacological agents to modulate the immune response, promote wound healing, and prevent post-surgical adhesions. In this review, we provide an overview of the biological role, classification, and mode of action of AMPs, discuss the opportunities and challenges to develop these peptides for clinical applications, and review the innovative formulation strategies for application of AMPs.
authors.affiliation: Promore Pharma AB, Karolinska Institutet Science ParkSolna, Sweden; The Lundberg Laboratory for Diabetes Research, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of GothenburgGothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahlapuu
authors.affiliation: SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Chemistry, Materials, and Surfaces Borås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Håkansson
authors.affiliation: SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Chemistry, Materials, and Surfaces Borås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lovisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ringstad
authors.affiliation: The Lundberg Laboratory for Diabetes Research, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of GothenburgGothenburg, Sweden; SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Chemistry, Materials, and SurfacesBorås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Björn
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001688:Biological Products; D007155:Immunologic Factors
keywords: AMP; anti-infectives; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial peptide; therapeutic agents