Antimicrobial Peptides of the Innate Immune System as Multifunctional Molecules and Promising Drugs
A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Targeting and Design".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2023) | Viewed by 346
Special Issue Editors
Interests: antimicrobial peptides of the innate immune system; antimicrobial activity; antitumor activity; immunomodulatory activity
Interests: antimicrobial peptides and proteins; complement system
Interests: innate immune system; antimicrobial peptides and proteins; interaction of AMPs with melanocortin receptors; immunomodulatory activity
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Antimicrobial peptides are effector molecules of the innate immune system in humans and animals. They provide rapid anti-infective protection against bacteria, fungi, some viruses and pathogenic protozoa. AMPs have a variety of primary and secondary structures and therefore different physico-chemical and biological features. In addition to their direct antimicrobial activity, AMPs exert multiple modulatory effects on host cells. Due to this versatility, AMPs have received an alternative name: host defense peptides (HDPs). These peptides demonstrate a broad spectrum of biological activities, acting as immune modulators as well as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, stress-limiting, neuroprotective, chemotactic and wound-healing substances and are often used as templates in creating new pharmaceutics. This Special Issue is aimed at presenting new data on various types of AMP activity, their mechanisms of action on diverse targets (bacteria, fungi, viruses, normal and tumor host cells), interaction with cell membranes, specific receptors, complement system, etc., and the prospects of their practical application as novel antimicrobials against multidrug-resistant pathogens or malignant cells, as well as immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, complement modulating pharmaceutics. Original research articles or reviews are welcome.
Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- AMPs as templates for creation novel antibiotics for combating drug-resistant microorganisms;
- Immunomodulatory activity of AMPs;
- AMPs as promising pharmaceutics in combination therapy of oncological or infectious diseases;
- Interaction of AMPs with host cell receptors;
- Anti-inflammatory action of AMPs;
- Prospects of application of AMPs as complement inhibitors;
- Synergy of AMPs with antimicrobial, antitumor, immunomodulatory medications;
- AMPs as wound healing tools.
We look forward to receiving your contribution.
Prof. Dr. Olga V. Shamova
Dr. Mikhail N. Berlov
Dr. Galina M. Aleshina
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- antimicrobial peptides
- antimicrobial activity
- immunomodulatory activity
- antitumor activity
- modulators of the complement system
- corticostatic activity
- wound-healing activity
- combined antibiotic action
