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Host defense peptides: An alternative as antiinfective and immunomodulatory therapeutics
Author(s) -
Alba Annia,
LópezAbarrategui Carlos,
OteroGonzález Anselmo J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
peptide science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1097-0282
pISSN - 0006-3525
DOI - 10.1002/bip.22076
Subject(s) - innate immune system , antimicrobial peptides , chemistry , host (biology) , rational design , antimicrobial , immune system , computational biology , immunity , broad spectrum , peptide , biology , biochemistry , immunology , combinatorial chemistry , ecology , genetics , organic chemistry
Host defense peptides are conserved components of innate immune response present among all classes of life. These peptides are potent, broad spectrum antimicrobial agents with potential as novel therapeutic compounds. Also, the ability of host defense peptides to modulate immunity is an emerging therapeutic concept since its selective modulation is a novel antiinfective strategy. Their mechanisms of action and the fundamental differences between pathogens and host cells surfaces mostly lead to a not widely extended microbial resistance and to a lower toxicity toward host cells. Biological libraries and rational design are novel tools for developing such molecules with promising applications as therapeutic drugs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 98: 251–267, 2012.