Antimicrobial peptides for novel antiviral strategies in the current post‐COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

The recent pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has highlighted how urgent and necessary the discovery of new antiviral compounds is for novel therapeutic approaches. Among the various classes of molecules with antiviral activity, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of innate immunity are among the most promising ones, mainly due to their different mechanisms of action against viruses and additional biological properties. In this review, the main physicochemical characteristics of AMPs are described, with particular interest toward peptides derived from amphibian skin. Living in aquatic and terrestrial environments, amphibians are one of the richest sources of AMPs with different primary and secondary structures. Besides describing the various antiviral activities of these peptides and the underlying mechanism, this review aims at emphasizing the high potential of these small molecules for the development of new antiviral agents that likely reduce the selection of resistant strains.

First Report of Ocellatin-VT from the Skin Secretion of Leptodactylus vastus Lutz (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae)

“…The secretion released through the integument of anurans, mainly by the granular glands, is rich in bioactive peptides and has been the subject of different studies, especially on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which act on different targets such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses [7][8][9]. Ocellatins are AMPs found in the secretion of leptodactylid anurans [10].…”

Triazole-Bridged Peptides with Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity and Potency against Pathogenic Bacteria

“…There, they act as a first line of defense against invading pathogens and can control infections through their microbicidal and immunomodulating properties . AMPs hold great promise as they possess broad-spectrum efficacies against bacteria, fungi, and viruses including multidrug resistant pathogens, such as members of the ESKAPE pathogens ( Enterococcus faecium , Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae , Acinetobacter baumannii , Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) …”