Toxicology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Toxicology, including details on forensic toxicology, carcinogenicity, assays.

Antibacterial peptides for therapeutic use: obstacles and realistic outlook.

Marr AK, Gooderham WJ, Hancock RE

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, University of British Columbia, 232-2259 Lower Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.

Cationic antimicrobial peptides are produced by almost all species of life as a component of their immediate non-specific defense against infections. The assets of these peptides in clinical application include their potential for broad-spectrum activity, rapid bactericidal activity and low propensity for resistance development, whereas possible disadvantages include their high cost, limited stability (especially when composed of L-amino acids), and unknown toxicology and pharmacokinetics. Initial barriers to their success are being increasingly overcome with the development of stable, more cost-effective and potent broad-spectrum synthetic peptides. Thus, there is hope that they will spawn a new generation of antimicrobials with a broad range of topical and systemic applications against infections.

Published 11 September 2006 in Curr Opin Pharmacol, 6(5): 468-72.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Toxicology Research Today. All Rights Reserved.