Advanced delivery systems for peptide antibiotics

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hold promise as alternatives to traditional antibiotics for preventing and treating multidrug-resistant infections. Although they have potent antimicrobial efficacy, AMPs are mainly limited by their susceptibility to proteases and potential off-site cytotoxicity. Designing the right delivery system for peptides can help to overcome such limitations, thus improving the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of these drugs. The versatility of peptides and their genetically encodable structure make them suitable for both conventional and nucleoside-based formulations. In this review, we describe the main drug delivery procedures developed so far for peptide antibiotics: lipid nanoparti-cles, polymeric nanoparticles, hydrogels, functionalized surfaces, and DNA-and RNA-based delivery systems. (c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) show potential as alternatives to traditional antibiotics, but face limitations such as susceptibility to proteases and off-site cytotoxicity. Designing suitable delivery systems can enhance the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of AMPs.