The Discovery of Novel Antimicrobial Agents to Combat Infections

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Novel Antimicrobial Agents".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 579

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Interests: infections; asthma; COPD; pulmonary fibrosis; antimicrobials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infections in humans are significant individual and public health threats. The risks associated with infections worsen with new, emerging viral strains and antibiotic resistance to bacteria and fungi. Novel antimicrobial agents are desperately needed to overcome the urgent challenge of a lack of effective treatments for microbial infections. Many novel strategies are being actively pursued to combat microbial infections, including, but not limited to, new chemical compounds and biologics, bacteriophage therapies, immune-based and host-targeted forms, or molecules that modulate virulence or pathogenicity. This Special Issue aims to include exciting and new knowledge regarding novel antimicrobial agents to treat any infectious disease. We welcome manuscripts addressing all aspects (e.g., structure, characterization, spectrum and potency, mechanism, optimization, efficacy, PD/PK, safety, and toxicology) regarding the discovery and development of novel antimicrobial agents against various bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

Dr. Yuanpu Peter Di
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antimicrobials
  • resistance
  • bacteriophage
  • virulence
  • structure
  • PD/PK
  • bacteria
  • virus
  • fungus

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 1990 KiB  
Article
Elephant Cathelicidin-Derived Peptides Inhibit Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection
by Haiche Yisihaer, Peng Dong, Pengpeng Li, Enjie Deng, Rui Meng, Lin Jin and Guilan Li
Antibiotics 2025, 14(7), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14070655 - 28 Jun 2025
Viewed by 351
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a globally prevalent pathogen that can infect a variety of animal species as well as humans. However, existing antiviral therapies are constrained in their capacity to effectively target viral latency and prevent recurrent infections. Antimicrobial peptides [...] Read more.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a globally prevalent pathogen that can infect a variety of animal species as well as humans. However, existing antiviral therapies are constrained in their capacity to effectively target viral latency and prevent recurrent infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), particularly cathelicidins, as part of innate immune system have demonstrated broad-spectrum efficacy against viral pathogens. In this study, four peptides derived from Elephas maximus cathelicidin EM were designed and optimized (EM-1 to EM-4). We identified low toxicity peptide derivatives through hemolytic and cytotoxicity assays, quantified their anti-HSV-1 activity by determining IC50. Antiviral mechanisms were investigated using RT-qPCR and antiviral efficacy was ultimately validated in C57BL/6J mice through viral load quantification in brain, lung, and heart tissues. Our findings revealed that EM-1 significantly inhibited HSV-1 replication in U251 cells. In a murine footpad inoculation model, EM-1 administration substantially reduced viral loads and alleviated inflammatory responses. Histological assessment demonstrated that EM-1 treatment mitigated HSV-1 induced tissue damage in infected mice. We also found that EM-1 exerted its antiviral effects by upregulating the expression of interferon-gamma and its downstream genes, such as ISG15 and MX1. These findings indicated that EM-1 is a dual function peptide that inhibits replication of HSV-1 as well as enhances host antiviral immunity. Collectively, this study highlights the therapeutic potential of elephant cathelicidin derived peptides in antiviral development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Discovery of Novel Antimicrobial Agents to Combat Infections)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop