Antimicrobial Peptides of the Cathelicidin Family: Focus on LL-37 and Its Modifications

Antimicrobial resistance represents one of the most pressing health challenges of our time, and naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides like LL-37 offer a promising alternative approach. This review by Voronko, Khotina, Kashirskikh, and colleagues focused on LL-37 and its modified analogs within the cathelicidin family of antimicrobial peptides.

The authors examined the published literature on LL-37's structure, mechanism of action, and antimicrobial spectrum, with particular attention to modifications that have been developed to enhance its therapeutic properties. The review covered both natural LL-37 activity and engineered analogs designed for improved potency and stability.

The review highlighted LL-37's potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, effective against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Modified analogs showed enhanced activity against resistant pathogens while maintaining favorable safety profiles, representing a significant advancement in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

For patients dealing with difficult-to-treat infections, LL-37 and its analogs represent a fundamentally different approach to antimicrobial therapy. Unlike conventional antibiotics, these peptides work through mechanisms that are inherently more difficult for pathogens to develop resistance against, offering hope for addressing one of modern medicine's greatest challenges.