Antimicrobial Peptides: New Frontiers in Therapeutics

Many life forms, from bacteria to humans, contain antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). They play a key role in the innate immune system. AMPs act as an early defense mechanism. Their skill in targeting and destroying pathogens makes them great options for battling antimicrobial resistance. This chapter will discuss AMPs according to their structure, action, and therapeutic role. AMPs appear as better option against resistant microbes because they are less prone to resistance. The AMPs are divided into four categories according to their structure: α-helical, β-sheet, extended, and looped peptides. Each differs in its stability and functional traits. AMPs show their action by following mechanisms: barrel stave, toroidal pore and carpet model. Examples would be Daptomycin, Melittin, Polymyxin B and Colistin and every drug works on microbes in different ways.