Title |
Rediscovery of antimicrobial peptides as therapeutic agents |
Author |
Minkyung Ryu, Jaeyeong Park, Ji-Hyun Yeom*, Minju Joo*, and Kangseok Lee* |
Address |
Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea |
Bibliography |
Journal of Microbiology, 59(2),113–123, 2021,
|
DOI |
10.1007/s12275-021-0649-z
|
Key Words |
antimicrobial peptide, drug candidate, clinical
trial, SLAY, drug delivery system |
Abstract |
In recent years, the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens
is increasing rapidly. There is growing concern as
the development of antibiotics is slower than the increase in
the resistance of pathogenic bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides
(AMPs) are promising alternatives to antibiotics. Despite their
name, which implies their antimicrobial activity, AMPs have
recently been rediscovered as compounds having antifungal,
antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, and insecticidal effects.
Moreover, many AMPs are relatively safe from toxic side effects
and the generation of resistant microorganisms due to
their target specificity and complexity of the mechanisms underlying
their action. In this review, we summarize the history,
classification, and mechanisms of action of AMPs, and
provide descriptions of AMPs undergoing clinical trials. We
also discuss the obstacles associated with the development of
AMPs as therapeutic agents and recent strategies formulated
to circumvent these obstacles. |