ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES AND TEMPORIN FAMILY IN THE CONTEXT OF RISING RESISTANCE - VIEW ON CURRENT DEVELOPMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59957/jctm.v61.i3.2026.1Keywords:
antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial peptides, temporin, temporin A, unnatural amino acids.Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance has surfaced as a gradual yet progressively significant threat to global public health, frequently overshadowed by more widely pressing issues like cancer and cardiovascular disease. Nonetheless, the rapid proliferation of multidrug-resistant pathogens has gathered worldwide attention, prompting organizations like the World Health Organization to classify it as one of the most urgent challenges that modern medicine must face. The reduced efficacy of conventional antibiotics has led to increasing treatment failures, prolonged hospitalizations, and elevated mortality rates, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches. In response to this, there is an increasing interest in overcoming the limitations of conventional antibiotics by developing novel treatment alternatives. Among these alternatives, antimicrobial peptides have attracted considerable attention due to their broad-spectrum efficacy, which includes antibacterial, antiviral, antitumour activities, alongside a unique mechanism of action, coupled with reduced likelihood of inducing resistance. The Temporin family is one of the groups in this category. It was originally isolated from amphibian skin secretions and has shown significant potential as a new source of antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents. Temporins show strong antibacterial properties, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria. Their simple structures make them attractive candidates for enhancement and therapeutic applications. Ongoing research on temporins and other AMPs holds great promise for finding a solution to the global problem of antimicrobial resistance and for shaping the next generation of infection-fighting therapeutics.
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