An antimicrobial peptide of the cathelicidin family that provides innate immune defense by killing pathogens and modulating inflammation and wound healing.
Tzeng. Yih-Ling YL; Berman. Zachary Z; Toh. Evelyn E; Bazan. Jose A JA; Turner. Abigail Norris AN; R...
Researchers found that a new strain of Neisseria meningitidis can become highly resistant to the natural antimicrobial peptide LL‑37 (and to the lab peptide polymyxin B) by mutating genes that build its surface pili. This resistance can appear in small sub‑populations of the bacteria, making them much harder to kill with these peptides.
Svensson. Daniel D; Aidoukovitch. Alexandra A; Anders. Emma E; Agerberth. Birgitta B; Andersson. Fre...
Researchers found that the antimicrobial peptide LL‑37 is naturally present in saliva from both the parotid and submandibular/sublingual glands, coming from neutrophils inside the glands. This shows your mouth already has a built‑in defense molecule, but the study doesn’t give dosing or ways to boost it directly.
Pan. X H XH; Quan. W W WW; Wu. J L JL; Xiao. W D WD; Sun. Z J ZJ; Li. D D
The study shows that a natural antimicrobial peptide called LL‑37, when released by immune cells (macrophages), can make colon cancer cells grow faster by turning on a growth‑promoting pathway. Blocking LL‑37 stopped this effect, suggesting that higher LL‑37 levels might be risky for colon cancer.
Jaśkiewicz. Maciej M; Neubauer. Damian D; Kazor. Kamil K; Bartoszewska. Sylwia S; Kamysz. Wojc...
The study shows that the natural peptide LL‑37 can kill the tough hospital bug Acinetobacter baumannii and can also break down its protective biofilm on surfaces like plastic and tube pieces, but it can also harm human skin cells at similar doses, meaning it isn’t ready for DIY use yet.
Kim. Min Ji MJ; Eun. Dong Hyuk DH; Kim. Seok Min SM; Kim. Jungmin J; Lee. Weon Ju WJ
In a mouse model of acne, adding bacteriophages (viruses that kill acne‑causing bacteria) to the skin reduced the size of inflammatory nodules more than just the bacteria alone, and also lowered some skin changes linked to acne. The study showed that the usual acne‑related immune markers, including the peptide LL‑37, stayed the same across groups, suggesting the phages work without dramatically altering the skin's immune response.
In a TB patient trial, adding phenylbutyrate (500 mg twice daily) and high‑dose vitamin D3 (5,000 IU daily) for eight weeks boosted the body’s natural antimicrobial peptide LL‑37, reduced several inflammatory signals, and increased a cell‑clean‑up process called autophagy, helping patients recover faster. The findings show these supplements can modulate the immune system, but the study was limited to sick adults and didn’t test healthy people.
Sikora. Karol K; Jaśkiewicz. Maciej M; Neubauer. Damian D; Bauer. Marta M; Bartoszewska. Sylwi...
The study shows that the type of salt attached to antimicrobial peptides can change how well they kill Staph bacteria and how toxic they are to human cells. For the peptide LL‑37, its antibacterial power was the lowest of the group, and the effect of different counter‑ions wasn’t consistent enough to make it a reliable option for anti‑Staph use.
López-González. Moisés M; Meza-Sánchez. David D; García-Cordero. Julio J; B...
Scientists showed that skin cells (a lab line called HaCaT) can get infected by dengue virus and respond by making immune signals, including a natural peptide called LL‑37, which was able to cut down the virus’s replication in those cells.
Jatana. Samreen S; Homer. Craig R CR; Madajka. Maria M; Ponti. András K AK; Kabi. Amrita A; Pap...
A lab study found that a compound called PALA, which blocks pyrimidine production, can boost skin cells' natural antibiotic proteins, including LL‑37, helping them clear tough bacteria like MRSA. It works by activating the NOD2 immune pathway, not by killing bugs directly. The research is still early and done in cell cultures and skin samples, not in real people.
Goeke. Julia Eliette JE; Kist. Stefan S; Schubert. Sören S; Hickel. Reinhard R; Huth. Karin Chr...
The study found that some bacteria causing cavities are less killed by natural antimicrobial peptides like LL‑37, and people who have more of these resistant strains tend to have worse tooth decay. This suggests that measuring how well these peptides work against your mouth bacteria could help spot higher caries risk, but there’s no ready‑to‑use treatment yet.
Stein. Thomas T; Wollschlegel. Audrey A; Te. Helene H; Weiss. Jessica J; Joshi. Kushal K; Kinzel. Be...
The study shows that the antimicrobial peptide LL‑37, when paired with single‑stranded RNA, can fire up immune cells (via TLR8) to release inflammation‑driving chemicals. A protein called IRF5 is key for most of these chemicals, while another protein, NF‑κB p65, helps with a few. Targeting IRF5 might calm inflammation without shutting down the whole NF‑κB system.
Scientists made a fast microscope test that watches how tiny peptides like LL-37 punch holes in the outer layer of E. coli bacteria. They saw the outer membrane first leak small molecules, then suddenly burst open and close, followed by the inner membrane breaking down.
Singh. Nivedita B NB; Yim. Juwon J; Jahanbakhsh. Seyedehameneh S; Sakoulas. George G; Rybak. Michael...
The study shows that giving low‑dose vancomycin alone lets Staphylococcus aureus become resistant, but adding the beta‑lactam antibiotic cefazolin stops this resistance from appearing. The bacteria also became better at surviving attacks by the natural immune peptide LL‑37 when they grew resistant, and the combination therapy prevented that. While the findings are mainly relevant to treating serious MRSA infections, they suggest a simple drug combo could keep vancomycin effective.
Thursfield. Rebecca M RM; Naderi. Khayam K; Leaver. Neil N; Rosenthal. Mark M; Alton. Eric W F W EWF...
In kids with cystic fibrosis, having low vitamin D didn't change the levels of the antimicrobial peptide LL‑37, infection rates, inflammation, or lung function, meaning vitamin D isn’t a useful shortcut to boost this peptide in this group.
Clark. Mary M; Kim. Jessica J; Etesami. Neelou N; Shimamoto. Jacqueline J; Whalen. Ryan V RV; Martin...
The study found that mast cells don’t release their granules (which contain the antimicrobial peptide LL‑37) right away when they encounter Group A Strep, but later they form web‑like traps that embed LL‑37 and kill the bacteria. This shows LL‑37 is a strong killer of this bug, but the work is about natural immune cells, not about taking the peptide as a supplement.
Kim. Byung Eui BE; Goleva. Elena E; Hall. Clifton F CF; Park. Sang Hyun SH; Lee. Un Ha UH; Brauweile...
A blend of ten lipids taken from a Japanese cypress extract was shown in lab cells and mice to boost the body’s own antimicrobial peptide LL‑37, kill common wound bacteria, and speed up skin wound healing, even when the wounds were infected. The research is still early‑stage and hasn’t been tested in people yet.
Han. Rafael Taeho RT; Kim. Hye Young HY; Ryu. Hyun H; Jang. Wooyoung W; Cha. Seung Ha SH; Kim. Hyo Y...
In rats with a skin condition similar to eczema, breathing in the chemical glyoxal (found in air pollution) made itching and skin inflammation worse. This was linked to more Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on the skin and higher levels of the natural antimicrobial peptide LL‑37, but it didn’t change blood antibody levels.
Jahangiri. Samira S; Jafari. Majid M; Arjomand. Mehdi M; Mehrnejad. Faramarz F
The study used computer simulations to see how a small piece of the human antimicrobial peptide LL‑37, called GF‑17, sticks to and disrupts bacterial membranes. It shows that the peptide clings to the surface mainly through electric attractions and hydrogen bonds, and that certain amino acids (especially some phenylalanines and the positively‑charged Arg and Lys) are key for getting into the membrane. This helps explain why GF‑17 can kill tough bacteria like MRSA and E. coli.
The study tested several antimicrobial peptides against real‑world MRSA infections and found that LL‑37 barely worked – it needed a very high dose (over 128 µg/ml) to stop the bacteria, far more than the other peptides tested.
Błażewicz. Izabela I; Jaśkiewicz. Maciej M; Piechowicz. Lidia L; Neubauer. Damian...
Researchers looked at skin bacteria from eczema patients and tested both regular antibiotics and natural antimicrobial peptides like LL‑37. They found lots of Staph bacteria, many were resistant to common drugs, and the peptides didn’t work much better or worse across different bacterial strains.