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The role of cationic antimicrobial peptides in innate host defences
1Dept of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, 300-6174 University Blvd, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z3. bob@cmdr.ubc.ca
Trends in Microbiology
|September 16, 2000
Abstract:
Cationic antimicrobial peptides are found in all living species. A single animal can contain >24 different antimicrobial peptides, which fall into four structural classes. These peptides are produced in large quantities at sites of infection and/or inflammation and can have broad-spectrum antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiprotozoan and antisepsis properties. In addition, they interact directly with host cells to modulate the inflammatory process and innate defences.