Antimicrobial Peptides Aka Host Defense Peptides – from Basic Research to Therapy 2.0

Dear Colleagues,

All wounds are at risk of becoming contaminated by pathogens, which could lead to infection. The ability to effectively overcome this danger is of evolutionary significance to our survival. It is therefore not surprising that multiple host defense systems, such as host defense peptides, have evolved. Antimicrobial peptides, aka host-defense peptides (HDPs), are produced by all living organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. These peptides display activity against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Today we have clear evidence that HDPs have far more than broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including immunomodulatory effects, wound healing, LPS neutralization, chemotaxis, or anti-cancer effects. Moreover, the multifunctionality of HDPs puts a lot of interest in the development of new therapeutic strategies against infectious diseases.

This Special Issue will address the most current and innovative developments in the field of HDPs research with a range of topics such as structure and function analysis, modes of action, anti-microbial effects, cell and animal model systems, the discovery of novel host defense peptides, and drug development.

Dr. Jitka Petrlova
Guest Editor

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