Antimicrobial peptides towards clinical application: Delivery and formulation

Antimicrobial peptides hold promise to supplement small molecules antibiotics and combat the multidrug resistant microbes. There are however technical hurdles towards the clinical applications, largely due to the inherent limitations of peptides including stability, cytotoxicity and bioavailability. Here we review recent studies concerning the delivery and formulation of antimicrobial peptides, by categorizing the different strategies as driven by physical interactions or chemical conjugation reactions, and carriers ranging from inorganic based ones (including gold, silver and silica based solid nanoparticles) to organic ones (including micelle, liposome and hydrogel) are covered. Besides, targeted delivery of antimicrobial peptides or using antimicrobial peptides as the targeting moiety, and responsive release of the peptides after delivery are also reviewed. Lastly, strategies towards the increase of oral bioavailability, from both physical or chemical methods, are highlighted. Altogether, this article provides a comprehensive review of the recent progress of the delivery and formulation of antimicrobial peptides towards clinical application. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This article reviews recent studies on the delivery and formulation of antimicrobial peptides, categorizing strategies driven by physical interactions or chemical conjugation reactions, and covering carriers from inorganic solid nanoparticles to organic micelles, liposomes, and hydrogels. Targeted delivery, responsive release, and strategies to increase oral bioavailability of antimicrobial peptides are discussed, highlighting the recent progress towards clinical application.