The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
The increasing number of people with type 2 diabetes (DM2) is alarming and if it is taken into account that the relative odds of developing tuberculosis in diabetic patients ranges from 2.44 to 8.33 compared with non-diabetic patients, thus in develo…
Pyroptosis is a caspase-1 dependent cell death, associated with proinflammatory cytokine production, and is considered to play a crucial role in sepsis. Pyroptosis is induced by the two distinct stimuli, microbial PAMPs (pathogen associated molecular…
The recent discovery that vitamin D regulates expression of the cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide gene has generated renewed interest in using vitamin D to fight infectious diseases. This review describes the historical use of vitamin D or its sourc…
Anthracimycin is a recently discovered novel marine-derived compound with activity against Bacillus anthracis. We tested anthracimycin against an expanded panel of Staphylococcus aureus strains in vitro and in vivo. All strains of S. aureus tested, i…
The presence and localization of cathelicidin anti-microbial peptides in the lizard, Anolis carolinensis, were investigated by immunocytochemistry. The study showed that immunoreactivity for cathelicidins 1 and 2 was only present in large granules of…
Secretory cells in the seromucous glands of paranasal sinuses secrete antibacterial proteins for innate immune mucosal integrity. We studied the localization of antimicrobial and cytoskeletal components of the human seromucous glands and respiratory…
We recently discovered that a signaling lipid, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), generated by sphingosine kinase 1, regulates a major epidermal antimicrobial peptide's [cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP)] expression via an NF-κB→C/EBPα-dependent…
BACKGROUND: Exacerbation of cutaneous wound infections and delayed wound closure are frequent complications seen in alcohol exposed subjects who sustain injuries. We previously reported that acute alcohol exposure alters the early dermal inflammatory…
We have synthesized 39 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] analogs having two side chains attached to carbon-20 (Gemini) with various modifications and compared their anticancer activities. Five structure-function rules emerged to identify analogs…
"Pustulosis palmaris et plantaris", or palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP), is a chronic pustular dermatitis characterized by intraepidermal palmoplantar pustules. Although early stage vesicles (preceding the pustular phase) formed in the acrosyringium con…
Cathelicidins are multifunctional cationic host-defence peptides (CHDP; also known as antimicrobial peptides) and an important component of innate host defence against infection. In addition to microbicidal potential, these peptides have properties w…
BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small proteins present in most living species and they are involved in the defence against pathogenic organisms. β-Defensins and cathelicidin are the most frequently studied AMPs in both people and dogs.…
Apart from their role in the immune defence against pathogens evidence of a role of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in autoimmune diseases has accumulated in the past years. The aim of this project was to examine the functional impact of the human cath…
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), who usually display low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D), are at high risk of infection, notably those undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). We hypothesized that peritoneal…
The ribonuclease activity of the soluble glycoprotein E(rns) of pestiviruses represents a unique mechanism to circumvent the host's innate immune system by blocking interferon type-I synthesis in response to extracellularly added single- (ss) and dou…
As the key components of innate immunity, human host defense antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs) play a critical role in warding off invading microbial pathogens. In addition, AMPs can possess other biological functions such as apoptosis, woun…
Body surface tissues, such as the oral cavity, contact directly with the external environment and are continuously exposed to microbial insults. Cathelicidins are a family of antimicrobial peptides that are found in mammalian species. Humans and mice…
BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that, in response to microbial infection, activated Müller glia secrete inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and exhibit antimicrobial properties. The aim of this study is to understand the mechanisms and the key com…
Vibrios are associated with a broad diversity of hosts that produce antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as part of their defense against microbial infections. In particular, vibrios colonize epithelia, which function as protective barriers and express AMPs…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are ubiquitous innate immune elements in epithelial tissues. We recently discovered that a signaling lipid, the ceramide metabolite sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), regulates production of a major AMP, cathelicidin antimicr…