A review of the antiviral activity of cationic antimicrobial peptides

Umme Laila Urmi; Ajay Kumar Vijay; Rajesh Kuppusamy; Salequl Islam; Mark D P Willcox

doi:10.1016/j.peptides.2023.171024

A review of the antiviral activity of cationic antimicrobial peptides

Peptides. 2023 Aug:166:171024. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.171024. Epub 2023 May 10.

Authors

Umme Laila Urmi¹, Ajay Kumar Vijay², Rajesh Kuppusamy³, Salequl Islam⁴, Mark D P Willcox⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: m.urmi@unsw.edu.au.
² School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: v.ajaykumar@unsw.edu.au.
³ School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: r.kuppusamy@unsw.edu.au.
⁴ School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh. Electronic address: salequl@juniv.edu.
⁵ School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: m.willcox@unsw.edu.au.

Abstract

Viral epidemics are occurring frequently, and the COVID-19 viral pandemic has resulted in at least 6.5 million deaths worldwide. Although antiviral therapeutics are available, these may not have sufficient effect. The emergence of resistant or novel viruses requires new therapies. Cationic antimicrobial peptides are agents of the innate immune system that may offer a promising solution to viral infections. These peptides are gaining attention as possible therapies for viral infections or for use as prophylactic agents to prevent viral spread. This narrative review examines antiviral peptides, their structural features, and mechanism of activity. A total of 156 cationic antiviral peptides were examined for information of their mechanism of action against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. Antiviral peptides can be isolated from various natural sources or can be generated synthetically. The latter tend to be more specific and effective and can be made to have a broad spectrum of activity with minimal side effects. Their unique properties of being positively charged and amphipathic enable their main mode of action which is to target and disrupt viral lipid envelopes, thereby inhibiting viral entry and replication. This review offers a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of antiviral peptides, which could potentially aid in the design and creation of novel antiviral medications.

Keywords: Antimicrobial peptide; Cationic antiviral peptide; Enveloped virus; Non-enveloped virus.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / pharmacology
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / therapeutic use
Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
COVID-19*
Humans
Virus Diseases* / drug therapy
Viruses*

Substances

Antiviral Agents
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides