Advances in Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs)
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 9
Special Issue Editor
Interests: antimicrobial peptides and proteins; host defence peptides; drug discovery; LPS scavengers; immune modulation; antibiofilm agents; toxins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small, naturally occurring molecules that represent a crucial component of the innate immune response across virtually all forms of life. Over the past decades, AMPs have gained increasing attention as promising alternatives or adjuncts to conventional antibiotics, especially in the context of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the most pressing global health threats of our time.
Characterized by their broad-spectrum activity and diverse mechanisms of action—ranging from membrane disruption to immune modulation—AMPs offer unique advantages, such as rapid bactericidal activity, low propensity for resistance development, and potential synergistic effects with existing drugs. In recent years, the field has expanded beyond naturally occurring peptides to include engineered variants, synthetic peptidomimetics, and cryptic peptides (cryptides) derived from larger protein precursors.
Despite these promising developments, several challenges remain, including stability, toxicity, production costs, and delivery strategies. Nonetheless, advances in molecular design, structural biology, computational modeling, and functional screening continue to push the boundaries of AMP research toward clinical translation.
This Special Issue, "Advances in Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs)", aims to highlight the latest breakthroughs in AMP discovery, design, characterization, and biomedical applications. We welcome original research articles and reviews that address recent progress and future perspectives in this dynamic and interdisciplinary field.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Discovery and characterization of novel natural AMPs;
- Rational design and synthesis of AMPs and peptidomimetics;
- Structural and functional studies of AMPs;
- Mechanisms of antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity;
- AMP interactions with microbial and host membranes;
- Stability, delivery systems, and formulation strategies;
- Identification and functional analysis of cryptides;
- Preclinical or clinical evaluation of AMPs in infection models.
We look forward to your contributions to this exciting Special Issue.
Dr. Andrea Bosso
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. Biomolecules 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 2700 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
- antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)
- host defense peptides (HDPs)
- peptidomimetics
- antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
- membrane interaction
- cryptides
- immunomodulation
- peptide design and synthesis
- biofilm inhibition
- drug delivery systems
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