Antimicrobial peptide nanomaterials

Antimicrobial peptides exist throughout nature and are produced by multicellular organisms as a defence mechanism against pathogenic microbes. Multi-drug resistant bacteria pose a serious threat to public health. In the increasing absence of new antibiotic agents, there is a need for the development of novel strategies to target bacterial infections. One such strategy receiving great interest is that of the field of antimicrobial peptide nanomaterials. Peptides represent an attractive approach owing to their unique chemical versatility, potential for structural and functional modification and capacity to self-assemble into a variety of nanostructures. Ultrashort sequences are particularly interesting in the development of novel antimicrobials since they are ultimately more cost-effective to upscale and require reduced manufacturing times. A variety of ultrashort sequences also demonstrate a propensity to self-assemble into nanotube and hydrogel structures, that themselves can provide an inherently antimicrobial material and/or delivery vehicle. Despite widespread research, few peptide nanostructures have made it to market, and this is due to recurring issues with stability and longevity within clinical applications. To surmount such issues there has been increasing focus on peptidomimetics, which display increased residence times and resistance to degradation by proteolytic enzymes in vivo, with successful implementation likely to result in the growth of the peptide therapeutic market.