Proteins and Peptides-Based Antibacterial and Antiviral Materials

Growing concerns about antibiotic resistance, among other health-related challenges, have prompted researchers to discover new drugs effective against infectious and non-infectious disorders. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained popularity as potential drug molecules with various applications. Despite their drawbacks, AMPs have attracted considerable attention in both the research and pharmaceutical sectors. Due to their multifunctional properties, AMPs are desirable candidates for the treatment of various diseases. The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria has led to the idea that AMPs can replace antibiotics. However, bare AMPs have limited therapeutic value due to their short circulatory system residence time, vulnerability to proteases, and alkaline wound environment. The main obstacles for AMPs to become successful commercial drugs are those mentioned above. Conversely, AMP-based materials may circumvent these problems and give conjugated AMPs better therapeutic efficacy than empty AMPs in various disease models.