Host Defense Peptides in Brief

Host defense peptides (HDPs) are an indispensable part of innate immunity. These multifunctional peptides, immanent in all living organisms, have diverse roles in host defense due to their antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. HDPs show activity against a broad spectrum of Gram+ and Gram- bacteria, fungi, mycobacteria, and some enveloped viruses. Their numerous roles as effector molecules of innate immune response and a link between innate and adaptive immunity, contribute to their antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, HDPs conduce to the resolution of inflammation and participate in wound healing. The increasing incidence of antimicrobial drug resistance and the need for agents that can modulate immune response have put these peptides into the spotlight of researchers' interest as potential therapeutics. In this review, we will present principal informations about the properties and the functions of host defense peptides, as well as their prospective applications.