human antimicrobial peptides in bodily fluids_ current knowledge and therapeutic perspectives in the postantibiotic era..人类抗菌肽在身体fluids_当前知识和治疗postanti.pdfVIP

Human Antimicrobial Peptides in Bodily Fluids: Current Knowledge and Therapeutic Perspectives in the Postantibiotic Era 1 ´ 1,2 ˜ 3 4 1,2 Paulo Bastos, Fabio Trindade, Jo ao da Costa, Rita Ferreira, and Rui Vitorino 1Department of Medical Sciences, iBiMED—Institute for Research in Biomedicine, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal 2 Unidade de Investigac¸ ao Cardiovascular, Departamento de Cirurgia e Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, ˜ Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal 3 Department of Chemistry, CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal 4 Department of Chemistry, QOPNA, Mass Spectrometry Center, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal Published online in Wiley Online Library (). DOI 10.1002/med.21435 ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an integral part of the innate immune defense mech- anism of many organisms. Due to the alarming increase of resistance to antimicrobial therapeutics, a growing interest in alternative antimicrobial agents has led to the exploitation of AMPs, both synthetic and isolated from natural sources. Thus, many peptide-based drugs have been the focus of increasing attention by many researchers not only in identifying novel AMPs, but in defining mechanisms of antimi- crobial peptide activity as well. Herein, we review the available strategies for the identification of AMPs in human body fluids and their mechanism(s) of action. In addition, an overview of the distribution of AMPs across different human body fluids is provided, as well as its relation with