Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs): Current State and Future Prospects for the Treatment of Human Parasitic Diseases

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural compounds that are primarily used in the development of new therapeutic components for a variety of illnesses, such as infectious diseases, parasitic illnesses, cancer, etc. Due to the rising occurrence of drug resistance, AMPs are used the same as antibiotics. Since the discovery of the first AMP, numerous studies have been conducted to determine the importance of amino acid residues showing antimicrobial activity and to develop and characterize potential AMPs. Since wet-lab experimental identification requires a lot of effort and cost, in silico studies are widely used to identify novel AMP candidates. In silico studies aid in the identification and modeling of AMPs. However, wet-lab studies using assays are assisting in characterizing the newly identified AMPs and their therapeutic potential. Thus, a number of researches helped to uncover the diversity of AMPs as well as the different classes within them. In this book chapter, we cover a wide range of AMP classifications, the mechanism of action of AMPs, various AMP-based drugs identified so far for treating parasitic diseases. Also, we illustrate how the approach of AMPs has helped in finding out remedies for Malaria. Additionally, we explain computational methods and resources for better research in the field of AMPs studies.