Antimicrobial Peptides - AMPs

Background

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) form an early defense
against invading microorganisms.

AMPs have been studied extensively during the last
15 years, see e.g."Antimicrobial Peptides and Human
Disease" by Shafer (Springer 2005).

Some commercially available peptides related to AMPs
are Nisin, Gramicidins and Polymyxins.

LL-37

One of several AMPs is LL-37. It is produced by
epithelial cells and in circulating blood cells.

Problems with LL-37 include that the peptide strikes
unselectively against both pathologic microorganisms
and the patient’s own cells.

Use of Seek & Heal™ targeting to target pathologic
organisms therefore was expected to increase usa-
bility of the peptide.

Project status

Due to an unfavorable price-to- performance profile of
LL-37, substances other than LL-37 are today incorpo-
rated in products using Seek & Heal™ targeting.

Above:

LL-37 in a mixed surface chemical and cartoon view
(structure from Li, X. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128,
2006, 5776).