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Chemical approaches in the development of natural nontoxic peptide Polybia-MP1 as a potential dual antimicrobial and antitumor agent

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Abstract

Polybia-MP1 is a well-known natural antimicrobial peptide that has been intensively studied recently due to its therapeutic potential. MP1 exhibited not only potent antibacterial activity but also antifungal and anticancer properties. More importantly, MP1 shows relatively low hemolytic activity compared to other antimicrobial peptides having a similar origin. Thus, besides investigating possible mechanisms of action, great efforts have been invested to develop this peptide to become more “druggable”. In this review, we summarized all the chemical approaches, both success and failure, that using MP1 as a lead compound to create modified analogs with better pharmacological properties. As there have been thousands of natural AMPs found and deposited in numerous databases, such useful information in both the success and failure will provide insight into the research and development of antimicrobial peptides and guiding for the next steps.

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Acknowledgements

This research is funded by The PHENIKAA University Foundation for Science and Technology Development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Pharmacy, PHENIKAA University, Hanoi, 12116, Vietnam

    Huy L. Xuan & Truong T. Tung

  2. PHENIKAA Institute for Advanced Study (PIAS), PHENIKAA University, Hanoi, 12116, Vietnam

    Huy L. Xuan & Truong T. Tung

  3. Lam Son School for the Gifted, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam

    Tam D. Duc, Anh M. Thuy & Phuong M. Chau

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  1. Huy L. Xuan
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Correspondence to Truong T. Tung.

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Xuan, H.L., Duc, T.D., Thuy, A.M. et al. Chemical approaches in the development of natural nontoxic peptide Polybia-MP1 as a potential dual antimicrobial and antitumor agent. Amino Acids 53, 843–852 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-021-02995-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-021-02995-9

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