The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
Chansu, a mixture extracted from Duttaphrynus melanostictus or Bufo gargarizans Cantor, is a traditional Chinese medicine with a broad range of medical applications. However, the peptides/proteins in it have not received adequate attention. Herein, a…
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem, which has been aggravated by the alarming growth of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Therefore, the development of a safer and more effective treatment is needed. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this…
The threat of fungal diseases is substantially underestimated worldwide, but they have serious consequences for humans, animals, and plants. Given the limited number of existing antifungal drugs together with the emergence of drug-resistant strains,…
is a zoonotic Gram-positive bacterium that causes invasive infections such as sepsis and meningitis, threatening public health worldwide. For successful establishment of infection, the bacterium should subvert the innate effectors of immune defence,…
The purpose of the work was to investigate the impact of sodium chloride (NaCl) on the antimicrobial efficacy of ceragenins (CSAs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against bacterial and fungal pathogens associated with cystic fibrosis () lung infect…
The Gram-negative pathogenis a primary contributor to nosocomial multi-drug-resistant (MDR) infections. To combat the rise of MDR infections, novel features ofneed to be considered for the development of new treatment options. One such feature is the…
() infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, which are compounded by drug resistance. By manipulating the coagulation system,gains a significant advantage over host defense mechanisms, with hypercoagulation induced bypotentially aggr…
OBJECTIVES: HIV infection still remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The inability of highly-active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1 eradication led to development of therapeutic vaccines. Exploiting effective immunogenic cons…
Vitamin D is a group of lipophilic hormones with pleiotropic actions. It has been traditionally related to bone metabolism, although several studies in the last decade have suggested its role in sarcopenia, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, i…
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) endocarditis failing conventional therapy has been successfully treated with nafcillin plus daptomycin in the clinic. In vitro studies showed that nafcillin enhanced daptomycin killing of MRSE i…
AIM: β-defensins 2 and -3 (HBD-2 and HBD-3) and cathelicidin LL-37 are host defense peptides (HDPs) that play a crucial role in the immune response against mycobacteria. Given our former studies in tuberculosis patients wherein their plasma levels of…
INTRODUCTION: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer in humans, occurring in more than 50% of Caucasians during their lifetime, with a frequency rate that is continually increasing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present a systematic rev…
Oxygen therapy is important for newborns. However, hyperoxia can cause intestinal inflammation and injury. Hyperoxia-induced oxidative stress is mediated by multiple molecular factors and leads to intestinal damage. Histological changes include ileal…
Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 infection impairs intestinal barrier function, causing intestinal inflammation and enteric dysbacteriosis. The human cathelicidin LL-37 can regulate excessive inflammatory responses, barrier function…
Solid-state NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy facilitates the non-destructive characterization of structurally heterogeneous biomolecules in their native setting, for example, comprising proteins, lipids and polysaccharides. Here we demonstrate the utility of…
Recent reports on antibiotic resistance have highlighted the need to reduce the impact of this global health issue through urgent prevention and control. The World Health Organization currently considers antibiotic resistance as one of the most dange…
BACKGROUND: Prosthetic-joint infection (PJI) is one of the severest complications after arthroplasty. However, antibiotics are not effective in the bacteria in biofilm outside the prosthetic-joint. Antimicrobial peptides have an efficient antimicrobi…
Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a pathogen that commonly causes foodborne illness and represents a health hazard to consumers. The combined use of synergistic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is a promising way to improve the microbiological safety of foods…
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced acute liver injury (AILI) is a leading cause of acute liver failure (ALF).-acetylcysteine (NAC) is only effective within 24 h after APAP intoxication, raising an urgent need for alternative approaches t…
INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D deficiency has been proposed to confer susceptibility to acquiring tuberculosis infection by impairing the innate immune response. METHODS: In an exploratory study, we examined whether the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(25(OH)D…