Roles of Antimicrobial Peptides in Gynecological Cancers

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential components of the mucosal barrier of the female reproductive tract (FRT) and are involved in many important physiological processes, including shaping the microbiota and maintaining normal reproduction and pregnancy. Gynecological cancers seriously threaten women’s health and bring a heavy burden to society so that new strategies are needed to deal with these diseases. Recent studies have suggested that AMPs also have a complex yet intriguing relationship with gynecological cancers. The expression level of AMPs changes during tumor progression and they may act as promising biomarkers in cancer detection and prognosis prediction. Although AMPs have long been considered as host protective, they actually play a “double-edged sword” role in gynecological cancers, either tumorigenic or antitumor, depending on factors such as AMP and cancer types, as well as AMP concentrations. Moreover, AMPs are associated with chemoresistance and regulation of AMPs’ expression may alter sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. However, more work is needed, especially on the identification of molecular mechanisms of AMPs in the FRT, as well as the clinical application of these AMPs in detection, diagnosis and treatment of gynecological malignancies.

Mechanisms and regulation of defensins in host defense

“…In addition, specific disease environments lead to significant changes in mucosal pH and salt ion concentrations that do not allow defensins to function. 423 – 426 (2) Natural defensins are sensitive to protease-mediated inactivation. The human body contains nearly 600 proteases 427 that, depending on the structure of the defensin, work together to exert proteolytic activity.…”

Antimicrobial Peptides—Mechanisms of Action, Antimicrobial Effects and Clinical Applications

“…Other clinical studies have evaluated the use of hybrid peptide C16G2 in dental caries in the form of mouth rinse or gel (NCT031962, NCT02044081) [ 144 ], porcine protegrin-1 known as iseganan in oral solution for complications in the mouth linked to radiation treatment of head/neck malignancies (NCT000223) [ 145 ], and indolicidin in intravenous infusion for oral mucositis that is seen after chemotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma (NCT020130) [ 146 ]. In addition, recent studies have shown that regulating the expression of AMPs in gynecological cancers may influence the sensitivity of malignant cells to chemotherapy [ 147 ].…”