LL-37

The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is generated upon proteolytic cleavage of cathelicidin and limits invading pathogens by directly targeting microbial membranes as well as stimulating innate immune cell function. However, some microbes evade LL-37-medi…

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the upper genital tract (UGT) presence of vaginal bacterial species using sensitive molecular methods capable of detecting fastidious bacterial vaginosis (BV)-associated bacteria. STUDY DESIGN: Va…

BACKGROUND: The ceramide metabolite, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), regulates multiple cellular functions in keratinocytes (KC). We recently discovered that production of a key innate immune element, cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP), is stim…

IMPORTANCE: Secondary infections and impaired desquamation complicate certain inherited ichthyoses, but their cellular basis remains unknown. In healthy human epidermis, the antimicrobial peptides cathelicidin (LL-37) and human β-defensin 2 (HBD2), a…

Enterococci that are nonsusceptible (NS; MIC > 4 μg/ml) to daptomycin are an emerging clinical concern. The synergistic combination of daptomycin plus beta-lactams has been shown to be effective against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) species…

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of anti-microbial peptide (cathelicidin), LL-37, in congenital pneumonia and its relation to 25 hydroxycholecalciferol [(25 OH)D] status. METHODS: The study included 30 neonates with congenital pneumonia an…

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that human cathelicidin and defensins have effective antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium spp. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antimycobacterial effect of mature bovine neutrophil β-defensin (mBNBD) 4 aga…

In silico dissection of crotalicidin (Ctn), a cathelicidin from a South American pit viper, yielded fragments Ctn[1-14] and Ctn[15-34], which were tested to ascertain to what extent they reproduced the structure and activity of the parent peptide. NM…

Tuberculosis is one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide. The susceptibility to this disease depends to a great extent on the innate immune response against mycobacteria. Host defense peptides (HDP) are one of the first barriers to cou…

Compared with traditional therapeutics, antimicrobial peptides as novel anti-tumor agents have prominent advantages of higher specificity and circumvention of multi-drug resistance. In a previous study, we found that B1, an antimicrobial peptide deri…

Smoking-induced lung diseases were extremely rare prior to the 20th century. With commercialization and introduction of machine-made cigarettes, worldwide use skyrocketed and several new pulmonary diseases have been recognized. The majority of pulmon…

Parasitic worms (helminths) reside in their mammalian hosts for many years. This is attributable, in part, to their ability to skew the host's immune system away from pro-inflammatory responses and towards anti-inflammatory or regulatory responses. T…

The crustacean ectoparasitic salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) is a major problem of Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the Northern hemisphere. Host-pathogen interactions in this system are highly complex. Resistance to the parasite involves variat…

Obesity is often associated with irregular dietary habits and reduced physical activity. Regular exercise induces a metabolic response that includes increased expression of various cytokines, signaling proteins and hormones, and reduced adipocyte siz…

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…

INTRODUCTION: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease caused by unresolved inflammation and tissue repair pathologies triggered by repeated organic dust exposure. The aim of the study was to investigate changes in levels of…

Mas-related genes (Mrgs) belong to a large family of G protein-coupled receptor genes found in rodents. Human MRGX proteins are G protein-coupled 7-transmembrane proteins sharing 41-52% amino acid identity with each other, but have no orthologs in ro…

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are part of the immune system in a wide range of organisms. They generally carry positive charges under physiological conditions, allowing them to accumulate on the negatively charged bacterial membrane as the first step…

Human LL-37, a cationic antimicrobial peptide, was recently shown to have antiviral activity against influenza A virus (IAV) strains in vitro and in vivo. In this study we compared the anti-influenza activity of LL-37 with that of several fragments d…