Issue 13, 2021

The multifaceted nature of antimicrobial peptides: current synthetic chemistry approaches and future directions

Abstract

Bacterial infections caused by ‘superbugs’ are increasing globally, and conventional antibiotics are becoming less effective against these bacteria, such that we risk entering a post-antibiotic era. In recent years, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained significant attention for their clinical potential as a new class of antibiotics to combat antimicrobial resistance. In this review, we discuss several facets of AMPs including their diversity, physicochemical properties, mechanisms of action, and effects of environmental factors on these features. This review outlines various chemical synthetic strategies that have been applied to develop novel AMPs, including chemical modifications of existing peptides, semi-synthesis, and computer-aided design. We will also highlight novel AMP structures, including hybrids, antimicrobial dendrimers and polypeptides, peptidomimetics, and AMP–drug conjugates and consider recent developments in their chemical synthesis.

Graphical abstract: The multifaceted nature of antimicrobial peptides: current synthetic chemistry approaches and future directions

Associated articles

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
30 Nov 2020
First published
27 May 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2021,50, 7820-7880

The multifaceted nature of antimicrobial peptides: current synthetic chemistry approaches and future directions

B. H. Gan, J. Gaynord, S. M. Rowe, T. Deingruber and D. R. Spring, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2021, 50, 7820 DOI: 10.1039/D0CS00729C

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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