An antimicrobial peptide of the cathelicidin family that provides innate immune defense by killing pathogens and modulating inflammation and wound healing.
The study shows that when E. coli bacteria are exposed to antimicrobial peptides like LL‑37, they turn on internal stress systems (especially the CpxAR pathway) that help them survive the attack. This bacterial response isn’t unique to one peptide – several different antimicrobial peptides trigger the same defense. The activation of CpxAR directly makes the bacteria more tolerant to these peptides.
Geörg. Miriam M; Maudsdotter. Lisa L; Tavares. Raquel R; Jonsson. Ann-Beth AB
The study shows that the bacteria that cause meningitis can stick to throat cells and become resistant to the human antimicrobial peptide LL‑37, using the host cell’s RhoA/Cdc42 signals and cholesterol. This resistance doesn’t happen with all antibiotics, only certain peptides.
Stohl. Elizabeth A EA; Dale. Erin M EM; Criss. Alison K AK; Seifert. H Steven HS
The study shows that a bacterial enzyme (NGO1686) is needed for gonorrhea bacteria to make hair‑like pili, and those pili help the bacteria survive attacks from hydrogen peroxide, the immune peptide LL‑37, and white blood cells. Without pili, the bacteria die more easily.
Cakir. E E; Torun. E E; Gedik. A H AH; Umutoglu. T T; Aktas. E C EC; Topuz. U U; Deniz. G G
In kids with lung TB, the natural antimicrobial peptide LL‑37 was found at higher levels in lung fluid compared to healthy kids, while another peptide, hBD‑2, was also a bit higher but not significantly. This suggests these peptides are part of the body’s response to TB, but the study doesn’t give any tips on how to use them for health or performance.
Sakoulas. George G; Nonejuie. Poochit P; Nizet. Victor V; Pogliano. Joseph J; Crum-Cianflone. Nancy...
A tough heart infection caused by a resistant bacteria was cured using two antibiotics together, daptomycin and ceftaroline. In lab tests they helped each other work better, and the combo also made the bacteria more vulnerable to the body’s natural defense peptide LL‑37. This shows a possible backup treatment for hard‑to‑treat infections, but it isn’t something most people can apply to everyday health routines.
Motamedi. Nima N; Danelishvili. Lia L; Bermudez. Luiz E LE
Scientists found that the bacteria Mycobacterium avium can survive attacks from the body's natural antibiotic peptide LL‑37 because of certain genes that make its outer wall tough. When those genes are knocked out, the bacteria become vulnerable to LL‑37 and are less able to live inside immune cells or cause disease in mice.
Reinholz. Markus M; Ruzicka. Thomas T; Schauber. Jürgen J
LL-37 is a natural antimicrobial peptide that helps skin defend against microbes, but its levels and processing go wrong in common skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. In eczema it’s often too low, in psoriasis it’s too high, and in rosacea it’s broken into fragments that cause redness. Researchers think tweaking LL-37 could become a new way to treat these skin problems, but no concrete methods are ready yet.
Sakoulas. George G; Moise. Pamela A PA; Casapao. Anthony M AM; Nonejuie. Poochit P; Olson. Joshua J;...
A study of 26 patients with hard‑to‑treat staph blood infections found that adding the antibiotic ceftaroline to daptomycin cleared the infection much faster (about 2 days versus 10 days on previous drugs). Lab tests showed that ceftaroline helped daptomycin work better and made the bacteria more vulnerable to the body’s natural antimicrobial peptide LL‑37 and to immune cells.
Jiang. Yuan-Yuan YY; Xiao. Wei W; Zhu. Mao-Xiang MX; Yang. Zhi-Hua ZH; Pan. Xiu-Jie XJ; Zhang. Yi Y;...
The study found that people with COPD have higher levels of the natural peptide LL‑37 in their lungs, and that this peptide can make lung cells release inflammation signals and die, which may worsen the disease. It suggests LL‑37 could be a future drug target, but doesn’t give any immediate ways to use or avoid it for health optimization.
Fathy. Hanan H; Amin. Maha M MM; El-Gilany. Abdel-Hady AH
The study found that the antimicrobial peptide LL‑37 (and another peptide HBD‑3) are much higher in skin lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma compared to normal skin, especially in more advanced nodular lesions. This suggests these peptides might play a role in the disease, but the research doesn’t show how to use LL‑37 for health improvement.
Shah. Nita R NR; Hancock. Robert E W RE; Fernandez. Rachel C RC
The study shows that the whooping cough bug can add a sugar (glucosamine) to a part of its outer coating, which makes it harder for natural antimicrobial proteins like LL‑37 to kill it. This tweak also helps the bacteria keep its outer membrane stable.
Thomassin. Jenny-Lee JL; Brannon. John R JR; Gibbs. Bernard F BF; Gruenheid. Samantha S; Le Moual. H...
The study shows that two types of gut bacteria, EHEC and EPEC, have enzymes (OmpT) that can break down the human antimicrobial peptide LL‑37, with the EHEC enzyme being more effective because it’s made in larger amounts.
Zhang. S S; Shu. X X; Tian. X X; Chen. F F; Lu. X X; Wang. G G
People with the autoimmune muscle diseases dermatomyositis and polymyositis make too many sticky DNA webs (NETs) and can't break them down well because an enzyme called DNase I is low. This is linked to higher levels of the peptide LL‑37 in their blood and is especially bad in those who develop lung disease. Steroid treatment seems to help the enzyme a bit, but the study doesn’t give any clear steps for healthy folks to use.
The study explains that a small protein called LL‑37 is found in high amounts in the skin of people with psoriasis and can influence inflammation, but it doesn’t give any clear ways to use this information for health hacks or treatments right now.
The study found that people with rosacea have a lot more of the skin mite Demodex folliculorum than healthy folks, and their skin shows higher levels of inflammation and the natural antimicrobial peptide LL‑37. The mite load was especially high in the papulopustular type of rosacea. While the research shows a link between the mites, inflammation, and LL‑37, it doesn’t give any new treatment tips or dosage advice for using LL‑37 or other peptides.
Habets. Michelle G J L MG; Rozen. Daniel E DE; Brockhurst. Michael A MA
The study shows that different strains of the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae react differently to two human immune peptides, HNP-1 and LL‑37, and that these reactions don’t always line up. It also finds that disease‑causing strains are generally more vulnerable than harmless carriers, and that the bacterial capsule isn’t the only factor controlling this. In lab tests, adding these peptides can even flip which strain wins in a competition.
Rinker. Sherri D SD; Gu. Xiaoping X; Fortney. Kate R KR; Zwickl. Beth W BW; Katz. Barry P BP; Janowi...
The study shows that a bacteria called Haemophilus ducreyi uses a protein channel (SapBC) to protect itself from the human antimicrobial peptide LL‑37. When this channel is broken, the bacteria become much more vulnerable to LL‑37 and lose their ability to cause disease in humans. The findings help explain how some microbes resist our natural defenses, but they don’t give direct tips for using LL‑37 as a supplement or therapy.
Moffatt. Jennifer H JH; Harper. Marina M; Mansell. Ashley A; Crane. Bethany B; Fitzsimons. Timothy C...
A strain of the superbug Acinetobacter baumannii that loses its outer membrane coating (LPS) triggers a weaker immune alarm in mouse cells and is easier for the human antimicrobial peptide LL‑37 to kill, although it still resists normal human serum.
The study found that the antimicrobial peptide LL-37, which is naturally made in the body, is higher in the lungs of people with COPD and it makes the airway cells produce more mucus. More mucus makes breathing harder, so LL-37 appears to worsen COPD rather than help it. The effect happens through a specific cell signaling chain involving TACE, EGFR, ERK1/2, and IL-8.
Strandberg. Kristi L KL; Richards. Susan M SM; Gunn. John S JS
The research shows that human immune cells (macrophages) don’t boost the antimicrobial peptide LL‑37 when infected with Salmonella, and LL‑37 isn’t needed to clear the bacteria inside these cells.