About this Research Topic
In recent years, increased resistance to current antimicrobials has accelerated demand for new antibiotics for resistant bacterial pathogens. World Health Organization (WHO) included antimicrobial resistance in the list of top 10 global public health threats facing humanity. Antibiotics were commonly prescribed to COVID-19 patients during the pandemic, even though they are not effective against viruses, which may have accelerated antibiotic resistance.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can act against a broad-spectrum of bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses, and even cancer cells. Most AMPs belong to the innate immune system of eukaryotes like plants, insects, fungi and animals, while other antimicrobial peptides can also be produced by bacteria or synthesized in laboratories. The therapeutic potential of AMPs is still limited due to high cost of synthesis, short half-life, enzymatic degradation or toxicity on untargeted cells. There is a constant need to develop new strategies to optimize the peptide sequences and increase their potential as drugs against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
The use of AMPs in combination with other agents has been explored to overcome resistance. AMPs act through several mechanisms, including membrane disruption, DNA and RNA binding, and inhibition of protein synthesis. Studies have shown that combining AMPs with other agents, including antibiotics and other AMPs, can have a synergistic effect and can enhance their effectiveness, even against resistant strains of bacteria.
This Research Topic aims to bring together the latest advances in overcoming bacterial resistance by synergistic effects of antimicrobial peptides. The potential mechanisms by which antimicrobial synergy could reduce the rise of bacterial resistance are not fully understood.
Original Research and Review articles are welcomed in the following research areas:
• Synergistic mechanisms of AMPs and traditional antibiotics;
• Factors influencing the synergistic activity of AMPs, including peptide sequence, concentration, and mode of action;
• Strategies for optimizing the synergistic activity of AMPs;
• In vitro and in vivo studies of synergistic AMP combinations against resistant pathogens;
• New peptide sequences and their antibacterial activity.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can act against a broad-spectrum of bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses, and even cancer cells. Most AMPs belong to the innate immune system of eukaryotes like plants, insects, fungi and animals, while other antimicrobial peptides can also be produced by bacteria or synthesized in laboratories. The therapeutic potential of AMPs is still limited due to high cost of synthesis, short half-life, enzymatic degradation or toxicity on untargeted cells. There is a constant need to develop new strategies to optimize the peptide sequences and increase their potential as drugs against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
The use of AMPs in combination with other agents has been explored to overcome resistance. AMPs act through several mechanisms, including membrane disruption, DNA and RNA binding, and inhibition of protein synthesis. Studies have shown that combining AMPs with other agents, including antibiotics and other AMPs, can have a synergistic effect and can enhance their effectiveness, even against resistant strains of bacteria.
This Research Topic aims to bring together the latest advances in overcoming bacterial resistance by synergistic effects of antimicrobial peptides. The potential mechanisms by which antimicrobial synergy could reduce the rise of bacterial resistance are not fully understood.
Original Research and Review articles are welcomed in the following research areas:
• Synergistic mechanisms of AMPs and traditional antibiotics;
• Factors influencing the synergistic activity of AMPs, including peptide sequence, concentration, and mode of action;
• Strategies for optimizing the synergistic activity of AMPs;
• In vitro and in vivo studies of synergistic AMP combinations against resistant pathogens;
• New peptide sequences and their antibacterial activity.
Keywords: antimicrobial peptides, synergy, antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial synergy, intracellular targeting, antimicrobial, peptides, antibiotic, resistance, intracellular, targeting
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
