The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
BACKGROUND: The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is known to have a potent lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-neutralizing activity in various cell types. Because of observed heterogeneity within periodontopathogenic LPS, the authors hypothesized that LL-37 had spe…
Antimicrobial peptides produced by multicellular organisms as part of their innate system of defense against microorganisms are currently considered potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics in case of infection by multiresistant bacteria. H…
BACKGROUND: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), neutrophil granulocytes fuel inflammation and damage tissue in the joint by releasing cytotoxic agents, antimicrobial peptides, proteases and other inflammatory mediators. The human cathelicidin LL-37 has rec…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important component of innate immunity in vertebrates. The cathelicidin family of AMPs is well characterized in mammals and has also been reported in several fish species. In this study we investigated the regulat…
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a frequent asymptomatic colonizer of the nasopharyngeal niche and only occasionally progresses toward infection. The burden of pneumococcal disease is particularly high in the elderly, and the mechanisms behind this increa…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are broad spectrum antibiotics, which mostly act without specific receptors. Identification of AMPs is important in the current scenario of emerging multi-drug resistant bacteria. In the present study, in an attempt to i…
Some agents, including Escherichia coli and group A Streptococcus pyogenes cause infections in oxygen depleted sites. LL-37 is a human host defence peptide shown previously to play an important role in controlling infections caused by these bacteria.…
Secretory leukoprotease inhibitor (SLPI) is an anti-inflammatory protein present in respiratory secretions. Whilst epithelial cell SLPI is extensively studied, neutrophil associated SLPI is poorly characterised. Neutrophil function including chemotax…
Interstitial cystitis (IC), often referred to in combination with painful bladder syndrome, is a chronic inflammatory disease of the bladder. Current therapies primarily focus on replenishing urothelial glycosaminoglycan (GAG) layer using GAG analogs…
Exosomes are membranous nanovesicles released by most cell types from multi-vesicular endosomes. They are speculated to transfer molecules to neighboring or distant cells and modulate many physiological and pathological procedures. Exosomes released…
Time-lapse fluorescence microscopy of single, growing Bacillus subtilis cells with 2-12s time resolution reveals the mechanisms of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) action on a Gram-positive species with unprecedented detail. For the human cathelicidin LL-…
CONTEXT: Vitamin D has regulatory effects on innate and adaptive immunity. Curiously, hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR) patients show no increased incidence of infectious or autoimmune diseases. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to in…
The human antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin LL-37 has, besides its antimicrobial properties, also been shown to regulate apoptosis in a cell type-specific manner. Mechanisms involved in LL-37-regulated apoptotic signaling are not identified. Here, w…
Tumor-associated macrophages have been shown to promote tumor growth. They may have an obligatory function in angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis through release of inflammatory mediators. Their presence in ovarian cancer has been correlated with…
Apoptosis inhibitor of macrophages (AIM), a scavenger protein secreted by tissue macrophages, is transcriptionally regulated by the nuclear receptor Liver X Receptor (LXR) and Retinoid X Receptor (RXR) heterodimer. Given that LXR exerts a protective…
Exposure to elevated temperature is an inherent feature of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) sea-cage culture in some regions (e.g., Newfoundland) and may also become an increasingly prevalent challenge for wild fish populations because of accelerated clim…
Genetic variation in Gir cattle (Bos indicus) has so far not been well characterized. In this study, we used whole genome sequencing of three Gir bulls and a pooled sample from another 11 bulls to identify polymorphisms and loci under selection. A to…
Postpartum, infants have not yet established a fully functional adaptive immune system and are at risk of acquiring infections. Hence, newborns are dependent on the innate immune system with its antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and proteins expressed at…
PURPOSE: We established the physiological relevance of LL-37 induced bladder inflammation. We hypothesized that 1) human urinary LL-37 is increased in pediatric patients with spina bifida, 2) LL-37 induced inflammation occurs in our mouse model via u…
In sepsis, the vitamin D active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) may play a crucial role by its action to produce cathelicidin and improve endothelial barrier function, such that a deficiency in 1,25(OH)2D is associated with poor outco…