抗菌肽在宿主防御中作用

抗菌肽广泛地存在于自然界中，其中许多抗菌肽具有直接抗微生物活性，能作用于G-、 G+细菌、真菌、寄生虫甚至是包膜病毒，并且在宿主先天免疫和适应性反应中有重要的调节作用。近来，越来越多的证据表明抗菌肽是有效的免疫辅助因子，能够与其他的众多免疫效应子协同作用，从而起始适应性免疫，促进伤口愈合，抑制前炎症反应以及诱导和调节细胞因子和趋化因子的产生。另外，随着抗菌肽作用机理逐渐被揭开，将这些内源性肽及其衍生物制成抗感染治疗药剂将会有广阔的应用前景。

Multiple Roles of Antimicrobial Peptides in Host Denfence

Cationic antimicrobial peptides are produced by all organisms, from plants and insects to human beings, as a major part of their immediately effective, nonspecific defences against infections. Although many demonstrate direct antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, eukaryotic parasites and/or viruses, it has been established that antimicrobial peptides have a key modulatory role in the interface of innate and adaptive immunity. More recent evidence suggests that antimicrobial peptides are effective adjuvants, are synergistic with other immune effectors, initiate the adaptive response, support wound healing, induce or modulate of chemokine and cytokine production, alterate of gene expression in host cells, and inhibit of proinflammatory responses of host cells.In addition, the mechanisms of action are being unraveled, which support more effective implementation of derivatives of these endogenous peptides as therapeutic agents in overcoming infectious diseases.