Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Antimicrobial Peptides

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are emerging as one of the unsurpassed therapeutic tools to treat various devastating diseases that are affecting millions of lives. Conventional synthesis of peptides requires longer times, and hence automated microwave technology could be regarded as an alternative implement which offers advantages like less reaction times and higher yields. In this sense, we herein describe a methodology to prepare AMPs through solid-phase peptide synthesis under microwave conditions. We have used LL37 as an example to discuss the synthetic protocol including the difficulties involved in the preparation of so-called long and difficult peptides and also remedial procedures to overcome these obstacles.