Dear Colleagues,

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change and no longer respond to drugs, making infections harder to treat. In 1945, Fleming had already warned about the dangers of misusing penicillin, and almost 80 years later, the problem of AMR is more relevant than ever. To date, fighting AMR requires the development of innovative vaccines, diagnostics, and, above all, therapeutics that are able to escape the strategies implemented by microorganisms to resist antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs), also known as Host defense peptides and proteins (HDPs), are the most promising candidates for alternative therapeutics to combat AMR since they are ancient components of the innate immune system. They are present in many organisms and are endowed with unique structural properties that allow not only the permeation and disruption of the target membranes but also the stimulation of the immune response. AMPs/HDPs have a wide range of inhibitory effects against bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses but have the advantages of limiting the induction and development of resistance mechanisms. Interestingly, during the last few years, research into new natural antimicrobial agents has been flanked by the rational design of new synthetic molecules inspired by natural agents and by the identification of novel bioactive sequences hidden in larger proteins, called cryptides.

We therefore invite academic investigators working in these fields to submit original research articles or reviews describing and discussing the most recent advancements and developments in basic science and biomedical applications.

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

• The discovery and design of novel AMPs/HDPs;
• Analysis of the structure and function of AMPs/HDPs;
• Modes of action of AMPs/HDPs and their effects on microbes, eukaryotic cells, and animal model systems;
• Characterization of AMPs/HDPs interaction with membranes;
• Peptidomimetics;
• Characterization of modified peptides;
• Identification of bioactive cryptides.

Dr. Andrea Bosso
Dr. Valeria Cafaro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• antimicrobial peptides
• host defense peptides
• cryptides
• antimicrobial peptidomimetics
• endotoxin neutralization
• antibiofilm activity
• wound healing
• antibiotic resistance
• membrane-disrupting peptides
• molecular targets of AMPs
• medical device contamination