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Antimicrobial peptides are key defense molecules adopted by all life forms to prevent infection. They also have other beneficial effects such as boosting immune response, anticancer, and wound healing. The antiviral effects of antimicrobial peptides have laid the foundations for developing new agents to combat seasonal Flu, HIV-1, RSV, Zika, and Ebola. This eBook is constructed to systematically deal with antimicrobial peptides from a variety of natural sources, including fungi, plants, and animals (insects, fish, amphibians, birds, and reptiles). It covers peptide discovery, antimicrobial activity, 3D structure, mechanisms of action and potential applications. Naturally Occurring Antimicrobial Peptides, an eBook published by the journal Pharmaceuticals, provides a helpful introduction to newcomers and refreshes the minds of veterans.

spermicidal peptides --- wound healing --- antibiotic resistance --- antiviral peptides --- anticancer peptides --- the next generation of antibiotics --- antiparasitic peptides --- antimicrobial peptides

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Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides. --- Anti-Infective Agents. --- Immunity, Innate. --- Drug Design. --- Peptides --- Agents anti-infectieux --- Médicaments --- Résistance aux maladies --- Conception

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Microorganisms have had a long and surprising history. They were “invisible” until invention of microscope in the 17th century. Until that date, although they were extensively (but inconsciously) employed in food preservation, beer and wine fermentation, cheese, vinegar, yogurt and bread making, as well as being the causative agents of infectious diseases, they were considered as “not-existing”. The work of Pasteur in the middle of the 19th century revealed several biological activities performed by microorganisms including fermentations and pathogenicity. Due to the urgent issue to treat infectious diseases (the main cause of death at those times) the “positive potential” of the microbial world has been neglected for about one century. Once the fight against the “evil” strains was fulfilled also thanks to the antibiotics, industry began to appreciate bacteria’s beneficial characteristics and exploit selected strains as starters for both food fermentations and aroma, enzyme and texturing agent production. However, it was only at the end of the 20th century that the probiotic potential of some bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria was fully recognized. Very recently, apart from the probiotic activity of in toto bacteria, attention has begun to be directed to the chemical mediators of the probiotic effect. Thanks also to the improvement of techniques such as transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, several bioactive compounds are continuously being discovered. Bioactive molecules produced by bacteria, yeasts and virus-infected cells proved to be important for improving or impairing human health. The most important result of last years’ research concerns the discovery that a very complex network of signals allows communication between organisms (from intra-species interactions to inter-kingdom signaling). Based on these findings a completely new approach has arisen: the system biology standpoind. Actually, the different organisms colonizing a certain environmental niche are not merely interacting with each other as individuals but should be considered as a whole complex ecosystem continuously exchanging information at the molecular level. In this context, this topic issue explores both antagonistic compounds (i.e. antibiotics) and “multiple function” cooperative molecules improving the physiological status of both stimulators and targets of this network. From the applicative viewpoint, these molecules could be hopefully exploited to develop new pharmaceuticals and/or nutraceuticals for improving human health.

Metagenomics --- Metabolomics --- antitumor activity --- immune-system modulation --- Gut Microbiota --- human-microbes cross talk --- antibiotics --- food-encrypted peptides --- gut-brain axis --- Metagenomics --- Metabolomics --- antitumor activity --- immune-system modulation --- Gut Microbiota --- human-microbes cross talk --- antibiotics --- food-encrypted peptides --- gut-brain axis

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Microorganisms have had a long and surprising history. They were “invisible” until invention of microscope in the 17th century. Until that date, although they were extensively (but inconsciously) employed in food preservation, beer and wine fermentation, cheese, vinegar, yogurt and bread making, as well as being the causative agents of infectious diseases, they were considered as “not-existing”. The work of Pasteur in the middle of the 19th century revealed several biological activities performed by microorganisms including fermentations and pathogenicity. Due to the urgent issue to treat infectious diseases (the main cause of death at those times) the “positive potential” of the microbial world has been neglected for about one century. Once the fight against the “evil” strains was fulfilled also thanks to the antibiotics, industry began to appreciate bacteria’s beneficial characteristics and exploit selected strains as starters for both food fermentations and aroma, enzyme and texturing agent production. However, it was only at the end of the 20th century that the probiotic potential of some bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria was fully recognized. Very recently, apart from the probiotic activity of in toto bacteria, attention has begun to be directed to the chemical mediators of the probiotic effect. Thanks also to the improvement of techniques such as transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, several bioactive compounds are continuously being discovered. Bioactive molecules produced by bacteria, yeasts and virus-infected cells proved to be important for improving or impairing human health. The most important result of last years’ research concerns the discovery that a very complex network of signals allows communication between organisms (from intra-species interactions to inter-kingdom signaling). Based on these findings a completely new approach has arisen: the system biology standpoind. Actually, the different organisms colonizing a certain environmental niche are not merely interacting with each other as individuals but should be considered as a whole complex ecosystem continuously exchanging information at the molecular level. In this context, this topic issue explores both antagonistic compounds (i.e. antibiotics) and “multiple function” cooperative molecules improving the physiological status of both stimulators and targets of this network. From the applicative viewpoint, these molecules could be hopefully exploited to develop new pharmaceuticals and/or nutraceuticals for improving human health.

Metagenomics --- Metabolomics --- antitumor activity --- immune-system modulation --- Gut Microbiota --- human-microbes cross talk --- antibiotics --- food-encrypted peptides --- gut-brain axis

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The role of the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the immune response and in the immunopathogenesis of different inflammatory, autoimmune, and infectious disorders is now well-established. Recent studies continue to broaden considerably the role of MIF in both normal physiology and pathology, which range from such diverse areas as oncogenesis, metabolism, and cellular stress responses. MIF’s molecular mechanism of action in these contexts is becoming increasingly understood and the role of variant MIF alleles in different conditions continues to be defined. New family members, such as D-dopachrome tautomerase, or MIF-2, and the closely homologous genes encoding by parasites have been defined and are being functionally characterized. MIF directed therapies also are entering clinical testing and ultimately may be applied in a pharmacogenomics manner. This book provides a comprehensive synthesis of the state-of-the-art of MIF science. The intended audience are post-graduate students and researchers in inflammation, innate immunity, immunology, and immunopathology.

Life sciences. --- Immunology. --- Infectious diseases. --- Cytokines. --- Growth factors. --- Cell biology. --- Life Sciences. --- Cytokines and Growth Factors. --- Infectious Diseases. --- Cell Biology. --- Cellular immunity --- Immune response --- Regulation --- Emerging infectious diseases. --- Cytology. --- Cell biology --- Cellular biology --- Biology --- Cells --- Cytologists --- Emerging infections --- New infectious diseases --- Re-emerging infectious diseases --- Reemerging infectious diseases --- Communicable diseases --- Immunobiology --- Life sciences --- Serology --- Cell growth factors --- Cellular growth factors --- Growth peptides --- Growth promoting substances --- Growth substances --- Peptide growth factors --- Peptide regulatory factors --- Polypeptide growth factors --- Cytokines --- Peptides