Antimicrobial Peptides and Physical Activity: A Great Hope against COVID 19

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), α- and β-defensins, possess antiviral properties. These AMPs achieve viral inhibition through different mechanisms of action. For example, they can: (i) bind directly to virions; (ii) bind to and modulate host cell-surface receptors, disrupting intracellular signaling; (iii) function as chemokines to augment and alter adaptive immune responses. Given their antiviral properties and the fact that the development of an effective coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment is an urgent public health priority, they and their derivatives are being explored as potential therapies against COVID-19. These explorations using various strategies, range from their direct interaction with the virus to using them as vaccine adjuvants. However, AMPs do not work in isolation, specifically in their role as potent immune modulators, where they interact with toll-like receptors (TLRs) and chemokine receptors. Both of these receptors have been shown to play roles in COVID-19 pathogenesis. In addition, it is known that a healthy lifestyle accompanied by controlled physical activity can represent a natural weapon against COVID-19. In competitive athletes, an increase in serum defensins has been shown to function as self-protection from the attack of microorganisms, consequently a controlled physical activity could act as a support to any therapies in fighting COVID-19. Therefore, including information on all these players’ interactions would produce a complete picture of AMP-based therapies’ response.

Antimicrobial Peptides: From Design to Clinical Application

“…Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are expressed by most living organisms and play important roles in defending against bacterial, viral and fungal infections [16][17][18], as well as adaptive immunity during the development of cancers and autoimmune diseases [19,20]. AMPs with diverse modes of action distinct from conventional antibiotics exhibit potential capacity against infection of MDR bacteria and other pathogens [21,22]. With the advance of nanotechnology, AMP-derived nanomedicines can be designed to treat bacterial infection locally [23,24].…”

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Potential for HNP-1, HBD-1 and HBD-4 in Pregnant Women with COVID-19

“…In cases of COVID-19, increased levels of inflammatory cytokines and excessive activation of immune cells called “cytokine storms” have been observed [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]; in particular, cytokine levels were used to assess disease severity, survival, and response to treatment [ 4 , 5 ]. At the same time, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are known to be valuable weapons in the body’s defense response against COVID-19 attack [ 6 ]. In humans, the most characterized classes of AMPs are the defensins (α- and β-defensins) [ 7 , 8 ], which are among the main players in the innate immunity system, and are involved in the first line of defense, playing a crucial role in infections and inflammations against pathogenic agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ].…”

Improved Database Filtering Technology Enables More Efficient Ab Initio Design of Potent Peptides against Ebola Viruses

“…These antiviral peptides can work through different mechanisms, ranging from immune regulation to direct inactivation via membrane disruption [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Hence, natural AMPs may be engineered into new therapeutics to help control these viruses [ 11 , 12 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. As a proof of concept, we previously demonstrated that LL-37 could be engineered to inhibit Ebola virus entry [ 24 ].…”