From Discovery to Clinic: Overcoming Barriers in Antimicrobial Peptide Development
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2025 | Viewed by 31
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biotechnology; macromolecules; antimicrobials; IgY antibodies; peptides; epitopes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are at the forefront of the fight against antibiotic-resistant pathogens, offering hope as next-generation anti-infective agents. However, despite decades of promising laboratory research, very few AMPs have successfully transitioned into clinical use. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive forum for addressing the multifaceted challenges and emerging solutions in the translation of AMPs from bench to bedside.
This Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and methodological papers addressing the following areas:
- Discrepancies between in vitro potency and in vivo efficacy.
- Issues of toxicity, immunogenicity, and off-target effects.
- Stability, degradation, and pharmacokinetics in physiological environments.
- Advances in animal models and infection systems.
- Standardization of assays and endpoints for regulatory approval.
- Case studies of AMPs in clinical trials and lessons learned.
- Innovative delivery systems (nanoparticles, hydrogels, and targeted carriers).
- Overcoming barriers to tissue penetration and bioavailability.
- Strategies for sustained and localized release.
- Understanding and monitoring the development of resistance to AMPs.
- Synergistic combinations with conventional antibiotics or other peptides.
- Mechanistic studies to inform rational design.
- AI and machine learning for peptide optimization and toxicity prediction.
- In silico modeling of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.
- Integrative pipelines linking discovery, validation, and clinical translation.
- Any aspect of the translational pipeline for AMPs, from discovery to clinical application.
- Interdisciplinary approaches that integrate experimental, computational, and clinical perspectives.
- Novel solutions to longstanding technical, biological, or regulatory challenges.
By bringing together contributions from across the AMP research and development spectrum, this Special Issue aims to catalyze progress toward the successful clinical implementation of antimicrobial peptides, ultimately helping to address the urgent global need for new anti-infective therapies.
Dr. José M. Pérez De la Lastra
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)
- translational challenges
- in vivo efficacy
- drug delivery and formulation
- computational approaches
- pharmacokinetics
- toxicity prediction
- antibiotic resistance
- animal models
- nanotechnology
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