Antimicrobial Peptides: a promising class of antimicrobial compounds against BWA and multi-drug resistant bacteria: in the spotlight: the lactoferrin chimera

Anti-Microbial Peptides (AMPs) are part of the innate immune defense system and considered as promising lead compounds for the development of novel anti-bacterial agents. In general, AMPs are simple, short peptides with broad-spectrum activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. AMPs are, inherently structured, to target and interact with bio-membranes. The AMPs in this study are derived from Lactoferrin. Lactoferrin is one of the antimicrobial components of the immune system of the body. In our laboratory, the antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity, the effects on host cell attachment and cell invasion of Lactoferrin and derived AMPs: lactoferricin, lactoferrampin and LFchimera (a chimera of lactoferricin and lactoferrampin) are studied against a broad range of bacteria including Bacillus antracis, Yersinia pestis and Burkholderia pseudomallei.