About this Research Topic
Peptides are typically defined as sequences of two to fifty amino acids combined together by peptide (amide) bonds. They are parts of proteins that are responsible for a vast variety of biological functions. Peptides derived from sources other than proteins are also vital biological agents, including hormones, components of innate immunological systems (antimicrobial peptides), neuropeptides, cell-penetrating peptides, and enzyme inhibitors. Thus, not surprisingly, peptides and peptidomimetics having a variety of physiological functions have been widely utilized as therapeutic agents. Among other applications, they have been employed to detect, prevent, and treat infectious diseases. Peptides are used in diagnostic applications, imitating the molecular recognition properties of proteins for the detection of bacterial or viral infections, as antibiotics mimicking the function of natural antimicrobial peptides, and as key vaccine antigenic components and immunostimulators, to name a few applications.
Peptides are fully biodegradable, biocompatible, highly selective in biological interactions, and normally safe for living organisms; moreover, they are part of the human diet. They have vast chemical versatility, can be easily produced on a large scale, and do not demand special storage conditions. They can possess their own intrinsic activity or replicate the activities of proteins from which they were derived. Therefore, peptides and their derivatives are a very promising platform for drug and vaccine development. However, peptides have also significant shortcomings as drug/vaccine candidates as most of them: 1) are easily biodegradable; 2) break all Lipinski’s rules (they are too hydrophilic, they have too many hydrogen acceptors and donors and are too large); 3) may aggregate; 4) are not orally active; 5) could not pass biological barriers; and 6) peptide antigens are poorly immunogenic.
Thus, a variety of strategies were developed to overcome the above shortcomings by modification of peptide structures or by utilization of special formulations.
This Research Topic seeks to provide a forum for new studies and discussion on novel concepts, mechanisms, and applications in the field of peptide-based detection, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases.
Topics may include but are not limited to:
- Antimicrobial peptides
- Peptide drug/vaccine delivery routes
- Nano-sized peptide delivery systems
- Development of effective delivery systems for peptides
- Peptide-based vaccines against infectious diseases (including virus infection-related cancers)
- The use of peptides for the detection of infection
- Peptides and peptidomimetics for treatment of infections (inducing enzyme inhibitors)
- PEGylated peptides
Therefore, the purpose of this Research Topic is to describe the current strategies and research developments in the use of peptides to protect and cure humans (and other animals) from pathogens. Both original research and review articles are welcome.
Peptides are fully biodegradable, biocompatible, highly selective in biological interactions, and normally safe for living organisms; moreover, they are part of the human diet. They have vast chemical versatility, can be easily produced on a large scale, and do not demand special storage conditions. They can possess their own intrinsic activity or replicate the activities of proteins from which they were derived. Therefore, peptides and their derivatives are a very promising platform for drug and vaccine development. However, peptides have also significant shortcomings as drug/vaccine candidates as most of them: 1) are easily biodegradable; 2) break all Lipinski’s rules (they are too hydrophilic, they have too many hydrogen acceptors and donors and are too large); 3) may aggregate; 4) are not orally active; 5) could not pass biological barriers; and 6) peptide antigens are poorly immunogenic.
Thus, a variety of strategies were developed to overcome the above shortcomings by modification of peptide structures or by utilization of special formulations.
This Research Topic seeks to provide a forum for new studies and discussion on novel concepts, mechanisms, and applications in the field of peptide-based detection, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases.
Topics may include but are not limited to:
- Antimicrobial peptides
- Peptide drug/vaccine delivery routes
- Nano-sized peptide delivery systems
- Development of effective delivery systems for peptides
- Peptide-based vaccines against infectious diseases (including virus infection-related cancers)
- The use of peptides for the detection of infection
- Peptides and peptidomimetics for treatment of infections (inducing enzyme inhibitors)
- PEGylated peptides
Therefore, the purpose of this Research Topic is to describe the current strategies and research developments in the use of peptides to protect and cure humans (and other animals) from pathogens. Both original research and review articles are welcome.
Keywords: Antimicrobial peptides, peptide-based vaccines, infectious diseases diagnostics, peptide therapeutics, cell-penetrating peptides, peptide nanoparticles
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.
