Defensins are short cationic host-defense peptides and belong to the diverse class of antimicrobial peptides. Defensins are ribosomally synthesized and contain 6-8 conserved cysteine residues. They are found in vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and in fungal species. More than 300 defensins have been identified so far.
Defensins are endogenous antimicrobial peptides, which are known as innate defense molecules. Their antiviral activities have been studied on many viruses including human immunodeficiency virus, human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus, respiratory syncytial virus and several others. Some defensin-based therapeutics are in preclinical and clinical development.
This month's highlights include news about cell-penetrating peptide inhibitors of amyloid-β aggregation and cytotoxicity, an apolipoprotein C-II mimetic peptide that lowers plasma triglycerides, a peptide derived from foot-and-mouth-disease virus that can be used to target pancreatic cancer cells, and the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
