Document Type
Article
Source of Publication
Frontiers in Immunology
Publication Date
6-30-2020
Abstract
© Copyright © 2020 Geitani, Moubareck, Xu, Karam Sarkis and Touqui. The treatment of respiratory infections is associated with the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in the community and clinical settings. Development of new antibiotics is notoriously costly and slow; therefore, alternative strategies are needed. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), the central effector molecules of the immune system, are being considered as alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Most AMPs are epithelium-derived and play a key role in host defense at mucosal surfaces. They are classified on the basis of their structure and amino acid motifs. These peptides display a range of activities, including not only direct antimicrobial activity, but also immunomodulation and wound repair. In the lung, airway epithelial cells and neutrophils, in particular, contribute to AMP synthesis. The relevance of AMPs for host defense against infection has been demonstrated in animal models and is supported by observations in patient studies, showing altered expression and/or unfavorable circumstances for their action in a variety of lung diseases. Of note, AMPs are active against bacterial strains that are resistant to conventional antibiotics, including multidrug-resistant bacteria. Several strategies have been proposed to use these peptides in the treatment of infections, including direct administration of AMPs. In this review, we focus on studies related to direct bactericidal effects of AMPs and their potential clinical applications with a particular focus on cystic fibrosis.
DOI Link
ISSN
Publisher
Frontiers Media S.A.
Volume
11
First Page
1198
Disciplines
Life Sciences
Keywords
antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial effect, antimicrobial peptides, cystic fibrosis, immune modulation, respiratory infections
Scopus ID
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Geitani, Regina; Ayoub Moubareck, Carole; Xu, Zhengzhong; Karam Sarkis, Dolla; and Touqui, Lhousseine, "Expression and Roles of Antimicrobial Peptides in Innate Defense of Airway Mucosa: Potential Implication in Cystic Fibrosis" (2020). All Works. 1624.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/1624
Indexed in Scopus
yes
Open Access
yes
Open Access Type
Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series