The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
Antibodies to the human cathelicidin, hCAP18 have been used to examine epithelial tissues of adult and pouch young marsupials. Immunoreactivity was observed in skin, gastrointestinal tract, lung and mammary node of adults as well as skin, gastrointes…
In addition to the numerous cathelicidin peptides that are associated with the antimicrobial activity exhibited by a crude extract from ovine blood, a further three peptides with antimicrobial activity have been identified. These were part of the pre…
INTRODUCTION: Cathelicidins are antimicrobial peptides found in epithelial and mucosal tissues as well as the secondary granules of neutrophils. SMAP29, a sheep cathelicidin, has differential antimicrobial properties against various pathogens, includ…
Cathelicidins are antimicrobial peptides, well studied in mammals and found to be multifunctional proteins, important in the fight against bacterial invasion. Cathelicidins in fish have only recently been identified and little is known about their fu…
Cathelicidin (hCAP-18/LL-37) and beta-defensin 1 (HBD-1) are human antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with high basal expression levels, which form the first line of host defence against infections over the epithelial surfaces. The antimicrobial functions…
The cathelin-like domain (CLD) of cathelicidins is grouped in the same superfamily with cystatins, natural cysteine protease inhibitors, due to their structural similarity. Intriguingly, human hCAP-18/LL37 and pig protegrin-3 (PG3) CLDs exhibit oppos…
Group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes or GAS) freshly isolated from individuals with streptococcal sore throat or invasive ("flesh-eating") infection often grow as mucoid colonies on primary culture but lose this colony appearance after labora…
The surface of our skin is constantly challenged by a wide variety of microbial pathogens, still cutaneous infections are relatively rare. Within cutaneous innate immunity the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is a primary system for protec…
Gene therapy for gastric cancer and gastric ulcer is a rationalized strategy since various genes correlate with these diseases. Since gene expressions in non-target tissues/cells cause side effects, a selective gene delivery system targeted to the st…
The recent discovery--from a meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials--that supplemental cholecalciferol (vitamin D) significantly reduces all-cause mortality emphasizes the medical, ethical, and legal implications of promptly diagnosing and…
The ability to form biofilms is a critical factor in chronic infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and has made this bacterium a model organism with respect to biofilm formation. This study describes a new, previously unrecognized role for the human c…
BACKGROUND: Cathelicidins are a family of antimicrobial peptides acting as multifunctional effector molecules of innate immunity, which are firstly found in mammalians. Recently, several cathelicidins have also been found from chickens and fishes. No…
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common organism associated with bacterial keratitis, especially in extended-wear contact lens users. In the present study, we determined that pretreatment of cultured human corneal epithelial cells with flagellin isolated…
The various functions of gelsolin in extracellular compartments are not yet clearly defined but include actin scavenging and antiinflammatory effects. Gelsolin was recently reported to bind endotoxin (LPS) from various Gram-negative bacteria with hig…
Tritrpticin and indolicidin are short 13-residue tryptophan-rich antimicrobial peptides that hold potential as future alternatives for antibiotics. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) has been applied as the main tool in this study to investigate…
Neutrophils represent the most common granulocyte subtype present in blood. The short half-life of circulating neutrophils is regulated by spontaneous apoptosis, and tissue infiltrating neutrophils die by apoptosis and secondary necrosis. The mechani…
Rhesus macaque theta-defensins (RTDs) are unique macrocyclic antimicrobial peptides. The three RTDs (RTD 1-3), isolated from macaque leukocytes, have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities in vitro and share certain structural features with acyclic…
Bacterial pathogens colonize human body surfaces soon after birth. In order to survive the constant threat of invasion and infection, the human innate immune system has evolved several efficient mechanisms to prevent harmful microorganisms from trave…
Cathelicidins are a family of cationic peptides expressed in mammals that possess numerous bactericidal and immunomodulatory properties. In vitro analyses showed that human, mouse, and pig cathelicidins inhibited Bacillus anthracis bacterial growth a…