Abstract

Antibiotics have long been the foundation stone of combating infectious diseases, but the widespread and often indiscriminate use of these drugs has given rise to drug-resistant pathogens, presenting a global health crisis. There is an urgent need to explore alternative therapeutic strategies that are less susceptible to resistance mechanisms as traditional antibiotics are losing their efficiency. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), small bioactive proteins naturally produced by a wide range of organisms, have emerged as promising candidates in the search for new antibiotics. AMPs serve as the first line of defense against a broad spectrum of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This review article looks into the wide potential of AMPs, not only as antibacterial agents but also in their roles as antifungal, antiviral, and anticancer therapies. The present review article provides an in-depth exploration of the structural diversity of AMPs, examining how their unique properties contribute to their broad-spectrum activity. It further discusses the mechanisms and modes of action that differentiate AMPs from conventional antibiotics. Despite their immense potential, several challenges such as toxicity, stability, and high production costs hinder the clinical application of AMPs. This article not only outlines these challenges but also discusses emerging strategies aimed at overcoming these barriers. Overall the review presents AMPs as a critical focus in the development of future antimicrobial therapies.

Key words: Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, Antimicrobial peptides; Engineered AMPs, Multidrug-resistant pathogens; Mechanisms of action, Synthetic antimicrobial peptides