Abstract
Defensins are a family of antimicrobial cationic peptides that act as a rapid response force against microbial invasion in a wide range of organisms, including plants, insects, animals and humans. In humans, defensins are produced predominantly by leukocytes and epithelial cells and are an important factor of innate immunity. In addition to their major role as natural antibiotics, defensins are increasingly recognized as signaling molecules in adaptive immunity and aberrant defensin expression has been associated with infectious diseases. In this review, we discuss the role of human defensins in relation to infectious disease and the possibility of novel defensin-based therapeutic approaches.
Keywords: Defensins, infectious disease, therapeutics
Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets
Title: Human Defensins: Turning Defense into Offense?
Volume: 7 Issue: 1
Author(s): Erik de Leeuw and Wuyuan Lu
Affiliation:
Keywords: Defensins, infectious disease, therapeutics
Abstract: Defensins are a family of antimicrobial cationic peptides that act as a rapid response force against microbial invasion in a wide range of organisms, including plants, insects, animals and humans. In humans, defensins are produced predominantly by leukocytes and epithelial cells and are an important factor of innate immunity. In addition to their major role as natural antibiotics, defensins are increasingly recognized as signaling molecules in adaptive immunity and aberrant defensin expression has been associated with infectious diseases. In this review, we discuss the role of human defensins in relation to infectious disease and the possibility of novel defensin-based therapeutic approaches.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
de Leeuw Erik and Lu Wuyuan, Human Defensins: Turning Defense into Offense?, Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets 2007; 7 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152607780090702
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152607780090702 |
Print ISSN 1871-5265 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 2212-3989 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
New Frontiers in Infectious Disease Research: Small-Molecule Probes and Biomarker Identification
The biological relevance of small-molecule chemical probes targeting a disease model is crucial in the early stages of drug discovery. The integration of omics technologies such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, immunomic, and cellular levels has greatly enhanced the ability to identify novel biomarkers and understand the complex interactions between pathogens ...read more
![](/images/wayfinder.jpg)
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Interleukin 20
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Interferon Treatment in Patients with Hypereosinophilia
Current Drug Targets Drugs as Possible Triggers of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Comprehensive Literature Search - Update 2015
Current Clinical Pharmacology Middle Lobe Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review
Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews Agents Targeting Ras Signaling Pathway
Current Pharmaceutical Design Recent Progress in Work on PGD2 Antagonists for Drugs Targeting Allergic Diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design Therapeutic Strategies in Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery Herbal Medicines as Potential Immune Boosters against Coronavirus Diseases
Current Traditional Medicine Association Study of IL-4 -590 C/T and DDX39B -22 G/C Polymorphisms with the Risk of Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease in Iranian Population
Current Aging Science The Exosomes: Staring Biomarkers and Novel Therapeutic Strategies
Current Pharmaceutical Design Pandemic of Atopic Diseases - A Lack of Microbial Exposure in Early Infancy?
Medicinal Chemistry Reviews - Online (Discontinued) The Role of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Regulated Cytochrome P450 Enzymes in Glioma
Current Pharmaceutical Design Tuberculosis, an Old Disease Lacking New Therapeutic Drugs
Current Drug Therapy Recent Advances in the Chemistry of Phthalimide Analogues and their Therapeutic Potential
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Past, Present and Future of Electroanalytical Sensor for Aspirin, Ibuprofen and Paracetamol Detection
Current Pharmaceutical Analysis 7-prenyloxi-6-methoxycoumarin from Polygala sabulosa A.W. Bennett Regulates p38 MAPK and NF-kB Pathways Inhibiting the Inflammation Induced by Carrageenan in the Mouse Model of Pleurisy
Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets (Discontinued) Plasticity of T Cell Differentiation and Cytokine Signature: A Double-Edged Sword for Immune Responses
Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Discontinued) A Systematic Approach to Hypertensive Urgencies and Emergencies
Current Hypertension Reviews Editorial (Thematic Issue: Natural Products for the Attenuation of Allergic Airway Inflammation)
Current Pharmaceutical Design Addressing Unmet Medical Needs in Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Review of Drugs under Development
Current Diabetes Reviews