Rediscovery of antimicrobial peptides as therapeutic agents

• Published in: The journal of microbiology Vol. 59; no. 2; pp. 113 - 123
• Main Authors: Ryu, Minkyung, Park, Jaeyeong, Yeom, Ji-Hyun, Joo, Minju, Lee, Kangseok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul The Microbiological Society of Korea 01-02-2021; Springer Nature B.V; 한국미생물학회
• Subjects: Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Anticancer properties; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial peptides; Antioxidants; Antiviral agents; Barriers; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chemical compounds; Clinical trials; Disease resistance; Fungicides; Insecticide resistance; Insecticides; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Minireview; Pathogenic bacteria; Peptides; Pharmacology; Side effects; Specificity; 생물학; clinical trial; drug delivery system; antimicrobial peptide; drug candidate; SLAY
• ISSN: 1225-8873; 1976-3794
• DOI: 10.1007/s12275-021-0649-z

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.