Abstract
Cationic host defense peptides (HDPs), a vital component of the innate immune system, are amphipathic molecules of 12-50 amino acids in length and are produced by numerous cell types, either constitutively or in response to inflammatory stimuli. In addition to their antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties, novel roles have been attributed to HDPs including promoting chemotaxis of immune cells, limiting inflammation/sepsis, promoting wound healing, regulating metabolism, and enhancing vaccine responses. These properties make HDPs a novel class of anti-infectives that can be exploited to treat immune and inflammatory disorders as well as infectious diseases. The emergence of multi-resistant bacteria is a major challenge facing modern healthcare since very few novel antibiotic agents are available. HDPs and their synthetic derivatives provide extremely valuable leads in the development of new treatment strategies for multi-resistant bacterial infections. This chapter reviews our basic knowledge on HDPs and synthetic cationic peptides and focuses on their current clinical application as anti-infectives, immunomodulators, and anticancer treatments. Challenges to their development as new therapeutics are also discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Antimicrobial Peptides and Innate Immunity |
| Publisher | Springer Basel |
| Pages | 321-358 |
| Number of pages | 38 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9783034805414 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9783034805407 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published or Issued - 1 Jan 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Antimicrobial
- Cathelicidins
- Defensins
- Host defense peptides
- Immunomodulatory
- Innate defense regulators
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine
- General Immunology and Microbiology