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Endogenous Vertebrate Antibiotics
Author(s) -
LEHRER ROBERT I.,
GANZ TOMAS
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1996.tb52963.x
Subject(s) - antimicrobial peptides , antibiotics , microbiology and biotechnology , endogeny , antimicrobial , biology , innate immune system , genitourinary system , immune system , immunology , biochemistry , anatomy
Although newly recognized, endogenous cystine-stabilized beta-sheet antimicrobial peptides have ancient origins. These peptides can arm circulating phagocytes and cells of the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and genitourinary tracts to resist invasion by bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, and enveloped viruses. Defensins and protegrin-like peptides are likely to play a considerable role in innate immunity and may provide molecular templates that can be used to generate novel antibiotics for topical and systemic use.