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Rediscovery of antimicrobial peptides as therapeutic agents

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Chung-Ang University Graduate Research Scholarship in 2017 and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) (2018R1D1A1B07050434 to J.-H.Y.).

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  1. Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea

    Minkyung Ryu, Jaeyeong Park, Ji-Hyun Yeom, Minju Joo & Kangseok Lee

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  1. Minkyung Ryu
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  2. Jaeyeong Park
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  3. Ji-Hyun Yeom
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Ryu, M., Park, J., Yeom, JH. et al. Rediscovery of antimicrobial peptides as therapeutic agents. J Microbiol. 59, 113–123 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-021-0649-z

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