14102 studies
Cationic host defense peptides are key, evolutionarily conserved components of the innate immune system. The human cathelicidin LL-37 is an important cationic host defense peptide up-regulated in infection and inflammation, specifically in the human…
Skin wounds usually heal without major infections, although the loss of the mechanical epithelial barrier exposes the tissue to various bacteria. One reason may be the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) of which some [human beta-defensins (hB…
Vitamin D has received increased attention recently for its pleiotropic actions on many chronic diseases. The importance of vitamin D on the regulation of cells of the immune system has gained increased appreciation over the past decade with the disc…
Campylobacter jejuni is a highly prevalent human pathogen for which pathogenic and stress survival strategies remain relatively poorly understood. We previously found that a C. jejuni strain 81-176 mutant defective for key virulence and stress surviv…
The human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide acts as an effector molecule of the innate immune system with direct antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. The aim of this study was to test whether the cathelicidin LL-37 modulates the response of n…
Vitamin D-insufficiency is a prevalent condition in populations throughout the world, with low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) linked to a variety of human health concerns including cancer, autoimmune disease and infection. Current data s…
Vitamin C is used as an anti-ageing agent because of its collagen enhancing effects. The precise cellular signalling mechanism of vitamin C is not well known. Here, we investigate the profibrotic mechanism of vitamin C against LL-37. Antimicrobial pe…
AIM: To determine cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL37subcellular distribution in cord neutrophils and normal plasma LL37 levels in mothers and neonates, relate them to delivery mode and relevant biochemical markers, including 25-OHvitamin D [25(O…
BACKGROUND: Members of the genus Nocardia are ubiquitous environmental saprophytes capable to cause human pulmonary, disseminated and cutaneous nocardiosis or bovine mastitis. Innate immunity appears to play an important role in early defense against…
The in vitro antimicrobial activities and biological effects on host cells were compared for the bovine cathelicidins BMAP-28, an alpha-helical AMP, and Bac5 and Bac7, proline-rich AMPs. Our results confirm that the broad-spectrum activity of BMAP-28…
In addition to their microbiocidal properties, human beta-defensins (hBDs) and cathelicidin LL-37 stimulate a number of mammalian cell activities, including migration, proliferation, and cytokine/chemokine production. Because hBDs and LL-37 cause mas…
BACKGROUND: The bacterial protein flagellin plays a major role in stimulating mucosal surface innate immune response to bacterial infection and uniquely induces profound cytoprotection against pathogens, chemicals, and radiation. This study sought to…
BACKGROUND: The amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) is believed to be the key mediator of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Abeta is most often characterized as an incidental catabolic byproduct that lacks a normal physiological role. However, Abeta has b…
Research on antimicrobial peptides has gained pace to exploit their potential and ability to replace conventional antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides are important members of the host defense system, as they have a broad ability to kill microbes. Ant…
Constant exposure to a wide variety of microbial pathogens represents a major challenge for our skin. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are mediators of cutaneous innate immunity and protect primarily against microbial infections. Cathelicidins were amon…
A promising approach in sepsis therapy is the use of peptides truncated from serum- and membrane-proteins with binding domains for LPS: antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). AMPs can be useful in combination with conventional antibiotics to increase killing…
Antimicrobial peptides are multifunctional in innate immunity and wound repair of multicellular organisms. We were the first to discover that histatins, a family of salivary antimicrobial peptides, enhance epithelial cell migration, suggesting a role…
Three Arg-rich nonapeptides, containing the same amino acid composition but different sequences, PFWRIRIRR-amide (PR-9), RRPFWIIRR-amide (RR-9) and PRFRWRIRI-amide (PI-9), are able to induce segregation of anionic lipids from zwitterionic lipids, as…
Vitamin D was discovered as the preventive agent of nutritional rickets, a defect in bone development due to inadequate uptake of dietary calcium. However, a variety of studies over the last several years has revealed that vitamin D controls much mor…
BACKGROUND: Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) is a routine treatment for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) but its effect on vitamin D balance is not well studied. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether NB-UVB treatment in winter improves vitamin D balanc…