Abstract
As an ancient mechanism of innate immunity virtually all multi-cellular organisms produce anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) that directly kill pathogens. Various AMPs, typically reaching high concentrations in the hemolymph, allow insects to cope with infections and to survive in habitats with massive microbial pressure. AMPs are also indispensable as part of the human innate immune system, besides the antibody- and T-cell-dependent adaptive immune system that exists only in vertebrates. Most AMPs act through permeabilization of the cell membrane of target organisms resulting in extremely rapid killing. Therefore, AMPs of various origins have been considered as lead structures for new anti-bacterial and anti-fungal drugs. While insect AMPs have only been tested in animal infection models so far, several artificial peptides derived from human, porcine, bovine, and frog AMPs have already undergone clinical trials. Here, an overview is provided of the different classes of AMPs found in insects, including a more detailed discussion of those peptides that have been proven to possess anti-microbial activity in experimentally infected animals. Further, the outcomes of the clinical studies on AMP-derived peptides are carefully reviewed. As will be seen, some peptides proved to be remarkably effective in the treatment of meningococcal sepsis, diabetic foot ulcers, acne, and catheter-related infections. However, no AMP-based drug has been approved so far. It finally will be discussed how exploiting the enormous repertoire of insect AMPs may lead to new drugs significantly improving today’s armament of anti-microbial agents.
Keywords
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Wiesner, J., Vilcinskas, A. (2011). Therapeutic Potential of Anti-Microbial Peptides from Insects. In: Vilcinskas, A. (eds) Insect Biotechnology. Biologically-Inspired Systems, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9641-8_3
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