The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
INTRODUCTION: Incomplete human extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion of the decidua and maternal spiral arteries is characteristic of pre-eclampsia, a condition linked to low maternal vitamin D status. It is hypothesized that dysregulated vitamin D…
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the leading cause of systemic sclerosis (SSc) related morbidity and mortality. LL-37 peptide is the only cathelicidin of the human antimicrobial peptide family with antimicrobial effects and immunomodulatory activit…
The human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is known to have chemotactic and modulatory activities on various cells including monocytes, T cells, and epithelial cells. Given that LL-37 enhances chemotactic attraction and modulates the activity of DCs, it i…
Candida albicans colonization is required for invasive disease. Unlike humans, adult mice with mature intact gut microbiota are resistant to C. albicans gastrointestinal (GI) colonization, but the factors that promote C. albicans colonization resista…
Five cases of bacterial meningitis treated with ceftaroline (4 Streptococcus pneumoniae and 1 Staphylococcus aureus) are summarized here. The pharmacodynamics of human cathelicidin LL-37 and ceftaroline were evaluated against S. pneumoniae. Patients…
Interactions between microbes and epithelial cells in the gastrointestinal tract are closely associated with regulation of intestinal mucosal immune responses. Recent studies have highlighted the modulation of mucosal immunity by microbe-derived mole…
Urinary tract infections are highly common during pregnancy, and can cause serious complications for the mother and baby. Vitamin D, predominantly obtained from the sunlight, is known to have an effect on the urothelium, with immunomodulatory capacit…
A series of amino-terminal truncated analogues of quail antimicrobial peptide Cc-CATH3(1-29) were created and examined antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, cytotoxicity against mouse fibroblast cell line, and membrane perturbation a…
Vitamin D promotes epithelial immunity by upregulating antimicrobial peptides, including LL-37, which have bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus. We found that children with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency [25-hydroxyvitamin D <30…
Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the lower genital tract, if untreated, can ascend to the upper genital tract, potentially leading to complications such as tubal factor infertility. The ascension involves cell-to-cell spreading, which may require C…
OBJECTIVE: We investigated the levels and antimicrobial activity of antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPs) in breast milk consumed by preterm infants, and whether deficiencies of these factors were associated with late-onset neonatal sepsis (LOS)…
Cathelicidins are a family of gene-encoded peptide effectors of innate immunity found exclusively in vertebrates. They play pivotal roles in host immune defense against microbial invasions. Dozens of cathelicidins have been identified from several ve…
Infiltration by macrophages represents a characteristic morphological hallmark in high-grade lymphatic malignancies such as Burkitt's lymphoma (BL). Although macrophages can, in principle, target neoplastic cells and mediate antibody-dependent cellul…
Constant cross talk between Candida albicans yeast cells and their human host determines the outcome of fungal colonization and, eventually, the progress of infectious disease (candidiasis). An effective weapon used by C. albicans to cope with the ho…
BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, visible light, or infrared light therapy for the treatment of acne is the subject of ongoing scientific debate. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate changes in sebum productio…
A highly efficient method for chemical modification of chitosan biopolymers by reductive amination to yield N,N-dialkyl chitosan derivatives was developed. The use of 3,6-O-di-tert-butyldimethylsilylchitosan as a precursor enabled the first 100% disu…
Increased secretion of antimicrobial peptides and cytokines is present in atopic skin. The purpose of this study was to compare the production of β-defensin (cBD)3-like, cathelicidin (cCath) and cytokines in atopic and healthy canine keratinocytes. S…
Resistance is increasing to several critical antimicrobials used to treat Salmonella typhimurium infection, urging people to search for new antimicrobial agents. In this work, we reported the possibility of a potent antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin…
One of the many functions of skin is to protect the organism against a wide range of pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by the skin epithelium provide an effective chemical shield against microbial pathogens. However, whereas antibacte…
OBJECTIVES: Urinary tract infection (UTI) often represents a diagnostic challenge in the emergency department (ED) where urine culture results are generally not available and other tests demonstrate limited sensitivity and specificity. Antimicrobial…