The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: LL-37 is the only member of the cathelicidin family of host defence peptides expressed in humans. It is primarily produced by phagocytic leucocytes and epithelial cells, and mediates a wide range of biological responses: direct kil…
The human cathelicidin peptide LL-37 is a multifunctional immunomodulatory and antimicrobial host defense peptide of the human immune system. LL-37 modulates host cell responses to microbial stimuli and also affects the action of other endogenous imm…
BACKGROUND: Cellular prion-related protein (PrP(c)) is a cell-surface protein that is ubiquitously expressed in the human body. The multifunctionality of PrP(c), and presence of an exposed cationic and heparin-binding N-terminus, a feature characteri…
The active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)(2)D), is a potent inducer of the antimicrobial protein cathelicidin, CAMP (LL37). In macrophages this response is dependent on intracrine synthesis of 1,25(OH)(2)D from precursor 25-hydr…
Endotoxin shock is a severe systemic inflammatory response that is caused by the augmented production and release of septic mediators. Among them, inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 play a pivotal role. In a…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are secreted in the airway and contribute to initial defence against inhaled pathogens. Infections of the respiratory tract are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm newborns and in patients with cystic fib…
Therapeutic neovascularization is a concept well validated in animal models, however, without clear-cut success in clinical studies. To achieve prolonged transgene expression, recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) was used in a chronic ischemic h…
BACKGROUND: An important aspect of the innate immune response to pathogens is the production of anti-microbial peptides such as cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP), the murine homologue of human cathelicidin LL-37. In this study, mecha…
Little is known about the regulation of the innate host defense peptide cathelicidin at the mucosal surfaces. Expression is believed to be transcriptionally regulated, and several cis-acting elements have been identified in the cathelicidin putative…
Fowlicidins are a group of newly identified chicken cathelicidin host defense peptides. We have shown that the putatively mature fowlicidin-2 of 31 amino acid residues possesses potent antibacterial and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- neutralizing activiti…
Innate immune responses involve the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), chemokines, and cytokines. We report here the identification of B-cell leukemia (Bcl)-3 as a modulator of innate immune signaling in keratinocytes. In this study, it is…
Serum amyloid A (SAA) has been regarded as an important mediator of inflammatory responses. The effect of several formyl peptide receptor-like 1 (FPRL1) ligands on the production of IL-8 by SAA was investigated in human neutrophils. Among the ligands…
The human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is involved in various aspects of skin biology, including protection against infection, wound healing, and also in psoriasis. The tight regulation of apoptosis is critical in tissue repair and its de…
BACKGROUND: The success of antimicrobial therapy has been impaired by the emergence of resistant bacterial strains. Antimicrobial peptides are ubiquitous proteins that are part of the innate immune system and are successful against such antibiotic-re…
The human cathelicidin LL-37 displays both direct antibacterial activities and the capacity to modulate host-cell activities. These depend on structural characteristics that are subject to positive selection for variation, as observed in a previous a…
The human skin is constantly exposed to microbial pathogens but infections only rarely occur. Innate cutaneous immunity is a primary system for protection against infection, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) expressed in skin are essential defence mo…
The human cathelicidin LL-37 is involved in innate immune responses, angiogenesis and wound healing. Functions in maintenance and re-establishment of intestinal barrier integrity have not been characterized yet. Following direct and indirect stimulat…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are strongly expressed in lesional skin in psoriasis and play an important role as proinflammatory "alarmins" in this chronic skin disease. Vitamin D analogs like calcipotriol have antipsoriatic effects and might mediate…
We have investigated the antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of a series of amino-terminated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) groups. The antibacterial activity of the PAMAM dendrimers and their deriva…
Molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of reactive oxygen species in LL-37-stimulated cells are poorly understood. Previously, we demonstrated that in human fibroblasts the exposure to WKYMVm induced p47(phox) phosphorylation and translocatio…