Cathelicidins--a family of multifunctional antimicrobial peptides.
Bals. R R; Wilson. J M JM
Key Findings
- LL-37 is the sole human cathelicidin and is produced by inflammatory and epithelial cells
- It has broad antimicrobial activity and also modulates inflammation, cell proliferation, migration, wound healing, angiogenesis, and cytokine/histamine release
- Cathelicidin peptides like LL-37 are being considered as prototypes for new therapeutics targeting infection and immune modulation
Practical Outcomes
- The takeaway for biohackers is that LL-37 shows promise as a multi‑functional molecule for infection control and immune support, especially in topical or wound‑healing contexts. However, there are no concrete dosage guidelines or safety data yet, so any self‑experimentation should be approached with caution and await further research.
Summary
LL-37 is the only cathelicidin peptide humans make, and it not only kills microbes but also helps control inflammation, cell growth, wound healing, and blood‑vessel formation. Scientists see it as a template for new drugs that could treat infections or tweak the immune system, but the paper is a review, not a new trial, so it doesn’t give dosing or specific DIY protocols.
Abstract
One component of host defence at mucosal surfaces are epithelial-derived antimicrobial peptides. Cathelicidins are one family of antimicrobial peptides characterized by conserved pro-peptide sequences that have been identified in several mammalian species. LL-37/hCAP-18 is the only cathelicidin found in humans and is expressed in inflammatory and epithelial cells. Besides their direct antimicrobial function, cathelicidins have multiple roles as mediators of inflammation influencing diverse processes such as cell proliferation and migration, immune modulation, wound healing, angiogenesis and the release of cytokines and histamine. Finally, cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides qualify as prototypes of innovative drugs that may be used to treat infection and/or modulate the immune response. This review provides an overview of antimicrobial peptides of the cathelicidin family, the structures of their genes and peptides and their biological functions.
Study Information
pubmed
2003
2003-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
10.1007/s00018-003-2186-9
438
91