ABSTRACT
A class of endogenously produced peptides called antimicrobial peptides (AMP), often produced in skin, provide an innovative alternative for treating skin infections, as they provide rapid and complete microbicidal activity with selective targeting of prokaryotic cell membranes. AMPs, also known as host defense peptides, are evolutionarily highly conserved components of the innate immune system and provide the first line of defense against invading pathogens in all multicellular organisms. Designed AMPs (dAMPs) are laboratory-synthesized peptides which have been rationally chemically analogued from naturally occurring AMPs. AMPs have direct antimicrobial activities in addition to modulating immune responses. Despite much promise and the dire need for new anti-infectives, AMPs have not garnered appeal due to apparent high cost and concerns relating to toxicity, and when given systemically, poor bioavailability. The dAMPs are synthetic analogues of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides that provide the first line of defense against invading pathogens.
